Vengeful Nightmares
by Mariel1
Summary: A few months after Sarah has completed the Labyrinth, she gets a disturbing visit from one of her friends. It seems that Jareth is angry over losing his game and his love. What has he done...and what will he do? Read and find out! Chapter names added.
1. A Dreadful Shock

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 1

Sarah Williams glared at her algebra book in frustration. Math had never been her strong point, and she found herself fighting a powerful urge to throw her textbook against the wall. This was her second year taking the course, and it all looked like Greek to her. Too bad I can't wish this away, she thought with a sour smirk. Or can I…? She gave her head a fervent shake, putting the idea in the Do Not Open box of her brain. Once was enough, and Jareth was too dangerous to be toyed with so idly. 

Sarah heard her bedroom door open, and turned to see her stepmother holding Toby and wearing a worn out sort of look. "Oh, Sarah, sorry to disturb your studies, but could you take out the trash tonight? Oh, and bundle up; it's starting to snow." Without waiting for an answer, she deposited Toby on the floor and left, closing the door behind her.

Toby looked up and smiled, waving Lancelot in the air by his fuzzy foot, and babbled happily, "Ah ba ba bahh! Ahh! Amamama!" He dropped the bear, and held up his arms for Sarah to pick him up. She laughed, and picked up the baby. "You're starting to look like a small lion," she teased, plucking at his hair, "You'll be needing your first haircut, soon."

"Sarah, the trash!" came a voice from the bathroom.  
"All right!" Sarah snapped, putting Toby in the little playpen by her bed. "Don't go anywhere," she told him, "I'll be right back." She gave him the teddy, and ambled out into the hallway. As she passed by the bathroom, she heard bath water running, and her stepmother lowering herself into the tub with a sigh. Sarah rolled her eyes. She had sort of patched things up with her stepmother, mostly for her father's and Toby's sakes, but she thought it presumptuous of the woman to think that she could just move into her mother's place. To share her father's bed. Actually, if it wasn't for all that, the two of them would probably get along famously; her stepmother was a good woman, after all, and she did try. 

Sarah pulled on her snow boots and donned her coat, and went to the kitchen to find the garbage bag all tied up by the back door. "Ohh…if they're going to take it out and tie it up, why not do the last step themselves?" she muttered, pulling up her hood. She opened the screen door, and it was nearly pulled of its hinges by the wind. She was glad there was a fire going inside.

Halfway down the lawn, Sarah tripped over something and went sprawling in the soft snow. She slid downward a few feet, and turned her head to see what she had tripped over. Her eyes widened in horror; a small huddled form lay face-down in the rising snow. "HOGGLE!" she screamed, turning him over. His lips were blue, and his eyes were closed. She couldn't tell if he was breathing or not; it was too dark. She placed two fingers on his neck, just below his jaw, and nearly sobbed with relief. He was alive, and his pulse was strong and regular. The garbage forgotten, Sarah lifted Hoggle in her arms and carried him inside.

Sarah hurried over to the fireplace and laid him down in front of the hearth, covering him with her coat. He gave a dry cough, but didn't open his eyes. She took his hands between hers, blowing on them to warm them. 

"Sarah!" 

Sarah jumped almost guiltily, and turned to see her father looking down at her in astonishment. "Sarah, what are you doing? Who _is_ that? _What _is that?"

"Daddy…It's a long story. This is Hoggle, my friend. I found him outside."

"Your…your friend?" he got down on one knee and studied Hoggle. Placing a hand on the dwarf's forehead, his face fell. "We have to get him warmed up quickly. Go get the hot water bottle and the heating pad, and all the blankets you can find. Hurry!"

Sarah jumped again, and hurried off to do as her father had asked.

Mr. Williams took Hoggle's pulse, looked at his watch, and sighed. Where had he come from? He…he wasn't even human! What was he? 

Sarah returned with what her father had asked for, and there were tears streaming down her face. "Will he be all right?"

"Yes, I think so." He fixed his daughter with a critical eye, and she fidgeted. "He's not human, is he? Not some midg—er, little person you met somewhere?"

Sarah looked down at Hoggle, and shook her head.

"Where did he come from?"

"From the Underground…" she murmured.

"Where?"

She sighed once more, and looked up. "You remember that book I was…sort of obsessed with a few months ago? 'The Labyrinth?'"

"Yes?"

"Well…I sort of wished Toby away, and…well…" she cleared her throat, "I didn't know it would really happen. He was really taken away by the Goblin King. I had to go through the Labyrinth to get him back, and I just made it in time, and Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus helped me get him back and…"

"Wait a minute, wait!" her father held up his hands, and shook his head. He looked at her again, and saw that she was completely serious. Stranger still, he found himself believing her. "You…This really happened?"

Sarah nodded again, ashamed. "I didn't mean for it to happen…"

"All right, I believe you, but what's…" he looked down at the dwarf.

"Hoggle."

"What's…Hoggle…doing _here_?"

Sarah shook her head. "You'll have to ask him when he wakes up. I don't know."

"_Peter! Sarah!_ What's—who—are…" Mrs. Williams stood there in her bathrobe her eyes nearly popping out of her head as she stared at the comatose Hoggle.

"Come upstairs, and I'll explain." Said Sarah's father. Looking over his shoulder, he watched his daughter for a moment, and then herded his wife upstairs.

Sarah knelt down beside Hoggle, and turned the heating pad up on High. The dwarf was shivering now, his teeth rattling in his head. He had finally warmed up enough to shiver. "Oh, please wake up, Hoggle! Please be all right." she put her hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs that were building up. Hoggle groaned softly, began to shake his head. He was waking up. "Hoggle! Hoggle!" Sarah said as loudly as she dared, shaking him gently. Quick as lightning, the dwarf seized her wrists and thrust her away; his eyes were wide open, and he began to pant with fear. He was terrified.

"Hoggle, it's me! It's Sarah! Look at me, Hoggle. It's all right, you're safe now." 

She stroked his forehead and cheeks gently, until he had calmed down and was looking at her in disbelief. "S—Sarah? Sarah! I didn't think it would work!" he sat up and she hugged him. He didn't mean to and he didn't want to, but his relief was so intense that he burst out crying.

"Oh, Hoggle, don't!" Sarah pleaded, rocking him gently, "What is it? What happened?" He tried to answer her, but he couldn't speak over the sobs that followed one after another so quickly that he had trouble even sitting up. If Sarah hadn't been holding him steady, he would have fallen back again. His right hand gripped her sleeve so tightly that she could feel her hand beginning to go numb. "It's okay," she murmured, "It's okay."

Sarah's stepmother arrived and stood in the doorway, an angry tirade dying on her lips. She stared at Sarah and her strange companion and dropped her jaw in dismay. They didn't know she was there, and that was just as well. Both would have been deeply embarrassed that she had witnessed such a scene. She edged away from them, and stood just outside the room with her back against the wall. She needed to think. Sarah had put her baby in danger and apparently had gotten him back just before they arrived home again. She had told them nothing, and they wouldn't have believed her anyway. 

Dinah Williams took the red, leather bound book out of her pocket and flipped through it. She had remembered perusing it some months before, not much interested at the time, but even so she saw that it had changed. The girl in the story was no longer named Simone; she was Sarah. And the Goblin King's name was Jareth…he looked like David Bowie! She looked at one picture near the beginning, and saw a line drawing of Sarah and Hoggle trading insults. She flipped through to the end and saw Sarah giving Toby her bear, Lancelot, and she saw a strange party going on in her room. They had just assumed that she had had her radio on loud, and hadn't really thought much at the time. Why hadn't they? That was the strange part; normally, they would have demanded that she turn it down. She headed for her bedroom, catching her husband's forearm and dragging him with her; she had something to show him.

Meanwhile, Hoggle had calmed down enough to tell Sarah what had happened. He didn't speak right away, and when he did he talked very quietly. "I don't know where to begin." 

"That's okay. Why don't you tell me what you were doing out in the snow? I thought you were…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word 'dead'.

Hoggle passed his forearm over his eyes, snuffling loudly. "Ya know how you can wish us here by callin' us?"

"Yeah." She nodded slowly. She had called them several times, usually just to say hi. 

"Well, I…I was wondering if it worked both ways…so I wished meself here. I guess I sorta missed, and it worn me out so that I keeled over. Sarah, something's happenin' to us back at the Underground. Everyone's gettin' nightmares, and some of 'em are even comin' true. I doesn't know what to do no more." He hugged his knees, and rested his chin on his arms, wrestling with another bout of tears. They must have been some nightmares, to get him like this. Sarah, who had had some really nasty nightmares in the past, shuddered at the thought of those dreams coming true. Now that she looked at him more closely, she could see that he hadn't slept at all in days. He was afraid to.

"Hoggle? Hoggle, calm down for a minute, okay?" she said, gripping his shoulders firmly. He held his breath and shook silently. He nodded. "Do you have any idea what's causing it?"

"Who is more like it." He hissed bitterly, "It's Jareth getting his revenge on us for betraying him!" With that he dissolved completely, sobbing uncontrollably into his folded arms. Sarah rubbed his back gently in a circular motion, and stared off into space. _You have no power over me…_

No, he no longer had power over her, but he did have power over her friends. And he was using it. She could protect herself from him, but that power didn't extend to her friends. She shook her head as she continued to try to comfort Hoggle. _Sarah, what have you done?_


	2. Lingering Menace

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 2

Sarah wrapped another blanket around Hoggle as the dwarf hiccuped slowly to an uncertain stop. Her father came into the room with a mug of hot tea that had a nip of brandy in it, and silently offered it to Hoggle. The dwarf looked nervous; if this was Sarah's father, and he knew that it was, he would have a lot of questions…and Hoggle wasn't up to answering them. Not yet. He nodded silently, accepting the tea, and taking a cautious sip. It was good, and he felt his blood finally begin to warm. Remembering his manners, he muttered, "Thanks."

"You're, uh…very welcome. I'm Peter Williams, Sarah's father." He offered his hand, and Hoggle looked uncertainly up at Sarah, who nodded encouragement. The dwarf gingerly took Peter's hand, and gave it a brief shake. "Hoggle." He said a bit too quietly.

"Where's Dinah?" asked Sarah.

"Your mother's upstairs, looking through that book of yours." He replied.

Sarah scowled up at her father. That woman was not her mother! Hoggle looked confused, and seemed to be getting ready to ask about it, but Sarah shook her head firmly. The dwarf looked down into his mug.

"So, what's going on here, anyway?" Peter asked Hoggle, who blanched and shrank back. Sarah came to his rescue.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow? He hasn't slept in days; he's tired."

"Sarah, I think…"

"Daddy…please." Sarah looked him in the face, her eyes pleading, begging him to back off. There was something in her eyes and voice, something he knew he couldn't argue with; his wife often looked and sounded the same. He nodded, and left the room.

"So, that's yer Pop, huh?" Hoggle said.

"Yeah. Don't let him worry you. It's Dinah you'll have to worry about." She snorted indelicately.

Hoggle eyed her curiously, and asked, "Why d'ya call her by her name if she's your Maw?"

"She isn't. She's my stepmother. Toby's her and my dad's son, so he's my half-brother. My mother left us." She set her jaw angrily, and stared into the fire.

"Cor, I'm sorry. I din't know." Hoggle said hastily, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving it an awkward pat.

She shrugged, smiled sadly, "Yeah well…I guess it doesn't matter now. My stepmother isn't all that bad—ugh, did I just say that?" she laughed quietly, and Hoggle chuckled with her. "Thanks, Hoggle." She said, not even knowing what she was thanking him for.

"Well, ain't no use having us both bawlin' our eyes out in one night. Uh, Sarah?" 

"Mm-hmm?" she looked back over at him, and saw him turning six shades of crimson.

"Don't tell anyone about how I…ya know…okay? In fact, forget I even…" he stammered, looked away.

"Okay. It's nothing to be ashamed of, though." She smiled gently.

"But I am." He looked up at her, as if challenging her to laugh at him. "So please, just forget it."

She smirked, gave his arm a playful punch, and said, "Sure thing. Your tea's getting cold."

"Oh." He took another sip, smacking his lips. "It's not bad." He said with a sappy grin, "What's in it?"

Sarah brought the mug to her nose, and recoiled. "Thought so. He put brandy in it." She returned his drink, and watched him gulp it down with some amusement. It smelled like there was more brandy in that mug than tea. "Not too fast. You'll be bumping into walls."

"Naw." He shook his head.

"Do you feel any better?" she asked him. He put the mug on the hearth, nodding. 

"Then, why don't you get some sleep?"

Hoggle snapped his head up and looked at her in horror, shaking like a leaf. "I…I…No! Don't you understand? He can still reach me here! I can't, I…I just can't, Sarah!" 

"But you can't stay awake forever, Hoggle." She told him earnestly.

"Just watch me!" he shot back.

"Hoggle…" she shook her head, "You can try and try, but you still won't be able to. Sooner or later, you'll drop off. I've tried that myself, just to see how long I could stay awake, and by day two, I just sort of…passed out."

The dwarf shook his head vigorously, worked his jaw as he tried to find the words to argue with her. 

"Come on, I'll think of something. Just rest for now. I'll stay with you tonight, if you want."

"And tuck me in, I suppose." He sighed, giving in.

"If you like." Sarah gave him a teasing smile.

"Huh! Thanks, but no thanks." He stifled a yawn. Sarah left the room for a moment, and came back carrying a pillow. 

"Here. We have a guest room, but it's warmer in here. I think you'll be better off."

Hoggle nodded, started to say something, and yawned again. He gave his head a shake, still fighting it. His head was on the pillow before he knew it, and he was nearly asleep when an ear-splitting wail sounded from overhead. He stiffened, stared wide-eyed at Sarah. "Toby…I forgot all about him. I'll be right back." 

Hoggle lay trembling in the semi-darkness, wishing fervently that Sarah hadn't left him there alone. However, she returned in less than two minutes, holding the eighteen-month-old Toby in her arms. "Told you I'd be back. You've never met my little brother, have you?"

"Uh, no…" Hoggle propped himself up on his elbow as Sarah sat down beside him and put the baby down at eye-level with the dwarf.

Toby frowned at Hoggle, stuck out his lower lip, and looked up at his sister. "Amah?" 

"It's okay, say hi, Toby."

The little boy looked at Hoggle again, and said quite clearly, "Hi!" The dwarf smiled, and Toby smiled back. "Hi! Hi, hi, hi, hi!" Toby clapped his hands, giggling.

"Cor…he talks already?" Hoggle looked up at Sarah, trying hard to wipe the smile off his face.

"Sort of; he says 'Mama', 'Dada', and 'Hi'. That's about as far as it goes. Look how proud of himself he is, though." She smiled. Just then, Toby reached out and grabbed Hoggle's nose. "Toby, no!"

Sarah put Toby on her lap, and after pouting up at her, he snuggled in for a nap. Sarah kept her attention on Toby for some time, looking up when she heard a snore; Hoggle had finally let himself drop off. Carefully, so as not to wake Toby, Sarah moved from the floor to the couch. This wouldn't be the first time she'd spent the night in the den. 

Sarah was getting a little drowsy herself, when she heard her stepmother hurrying down the steps. Sarah tiptoed out of the room, meeting Dinah as she reached the bottom. Dinah froze, fixing Sarah with a glacial stare. "What was Toby doing in there, with that strange man?"

Sarah returned the stare, and deposited her brother into Dinah's waiting arms. "Hoggle wouldn't hurt Toby, Dinah. In fact, he helped me get him back. He's my friend."

"Your 'friend', who gave you that drugged fruit and almost got you killed?" 

"How…" Sarah shook her head, incredulous. Dinah shifted Toby so that his weight rested on her hip, and showed Sarah the page she had marked. Sarah glanced briefly at it, then flipped forward several pages. She held up the book, showing Dinah a line drawing of Hoggle sitting despondently by a small campfire in a junk yard, tears streaming down his leathery cheeks.

"Yes, I saw that. The point is, he poisoned you!"

"That's NOT the point!" Sarah snapped, her teeth clicking together on the last word. "Jareth threatened him! He didn't want to do it. He even tried to throw it away! You would see 'the point' if you had had to go through the Bog!"

"This 'Jareth' you mentioned, who is he?"

Sarah glared. "It's all in the book! Now, if you'll excuse me, I promised my friend that I'd stay with him tonight."

Dinah grabbed Sarah's arm, pulling her around bodily so that they were nose-to-nose. "Are you out of your mind? He can't stay here, Sarah! He's dangerous!"

"No he isn't! And he isn't staying long, just for the night. Daddy already said he could."

"Oh, just like that, without even asking me?" 

More footsteps. Peter Williams came down, and judging from his red face, he had heard the whole thing. "Honey, let's give Sarah a chance to explain."

"But Peter!"

"Dinah…"

Dinah glared at both of them, angry that her husband wasn't taking her part. "All right, you're both against me, talk! Well, go on, you have my attention"

Sarah sighed. "Explain what? What happened a few months ago, or why Hoggle's here now? Maybe I should explain the last one. I beat Jareth, and for a while everything was fine. Toby was safe, and I could call my friends anytime I wanted to. I still can, but now something's going on in the Underground, and Hoggle came to me for help."

"Oh, help? Huh, no…" Dinah shook her head, and her husband held up a hand and indicated that Sarah should continue.

"It's because of me…Jareth's angry that he lost, and since he can't touch me he's gone after my friends. He's giving them nightmares, which are coming true, and Hoggle wished himself here. If you could have seen his face..."

Peter shook his head slowly, "I'm not denying that he needs help, but I don't know about this, Sarah. I mean, what do you plan on doing?" 

"I don't know. He didn't tell me all of it."

"Why not?"

"Well…"

"Never mind, Peter." Dinah sighed, giving her husband the baby and heading back up the stairs.

"We _will_ talk about this tomorrow, Sarah." Peter said firmly before following his wife. Sarah's shoulders slumped. "Right."

She returned to find Hoggle still snoring away on the floor. She absently touched his forehead, drawing back when he grunted and twitched in his sleep. He didn't wake up, however, and Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. Glancing out the window, her eyes were drawn to something that shimmered on the sill. 

Sarah's heart turned over, and she felt her feet moving of their own accord. She picked the object up, and saw that it was a book bound in blue leather, with silver letters reading, 'Sarah'; below it was a silver owl inside an open window. Looking up, Sarah saw nothing outside. Drawing the curtains shut, she sat down beside Hoggle and shook with a sudden case of the chills, her face aglow with cold sweat.

"Damn you, Jareth…" she whispered.

"Did I hear my name mentioned?"

Sarah whipped around, but saw no one.

"No, dear one, I'm not in the room with you. I can't come in unless you invite me." The voice was inside her head, she realized.

"Like that's going to happen!" she thought viciously at him.

"Now, Sarah, be nice. Open your book. Read your story."

"Leave me alone."

"Don't you want to know what's happening to your little friends?" He asked pleasantly; she could imagine him smirking at her.

"Please, leave me alone!"

"Look at you. You're _begging! _ Shame on you, my dear." That laugh!

Hoggle began to thrash about in terror, and Sarah saw a diaphanous nightmare creature hovering over him. It was a gigantic version of the fairies that lived near the labyrinth's gate. The sight of it made her stomach churn, the sheer malice in it's shining eye sockets striking something deep within her, a primal fear and the urge to run. In the Underground the creature would have had substance, but Jareth's power wasn't as vast in Sarah's home. 

"Leave him alone!" She ground out, protecting the sleeping dwarf with her arms so that the creature backed off.

"Read your book!" Jareth snapped back angrily.

"Fine!" She opened the book, a note fell out into her lap.

"Good girl." The voice whispered sibilantly as it faded.

"Sarah?" Hoggle murmured, sitting up. He saw Sarah looking at a piece of paper, saw the book, and began to shake. "Sarah…what…"

"A gift from You Know Who." She whispered back, not looking up. She read aloud,

_'Dearest Sarah,_

I am very hurt by your rejection. Never before has anyone dared to defy me.

You are a strange one, Sarah. I have yet to figure you out. Last time we did things your way.

Now it's my turn. You can stop all of this by giving yourself to me, but as that probably 

won't happen, I anticipate a deeply enjoyable game coming my way. Come back to the

Underground, play my game. The book will tell you all you need to know.

X's & O's,

Jareth'

Sarah was silent for a long moment, then she looked up to see Hoggle staring at her with fresh tears in his eyes. He shook his head once, and turned to stare into the fire. He was trembling again. "I told you the dreams would come again. I knew he had something in mind, I just didn't know what he'd use to getcha."

"Hoggle, please don't cry again." Sarah implored, touching his shoulder. 

"I ain't cryin'," he protested, shaking her off. She backed off, knowing what his moods were like. She glanced at the book; the silver letters winked at her as if to say 'read me'. Hoggle had managed to keep himself under control, and looked back to see her staring down at the book. "Sarah, you ain't thinkin' about readin' that thing, are ya?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I can guess what you would do with it." She replied, glancing meaningfully at the fire. The same thought had occurred to her, but now she didn't dare.

"So, why don't _you_?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Hoggle."

The dwarf snorted sarcastically, "Sure, yer crazy."

"No, Hoggle, I'm not crazy. He talked to me. He told me to read the book, and when I told him to back off he gave you that dream. I _saw_ it, Hoggle! I don't know what to do, but I can't destroy this." Her voice broke, and she let her head fall into her hands. She didn't see Hoggle's jaw go slack, or his look of sheer helplessness. He looked like he wanted to escape, but where could he go? He rose somewhat unsteadily, hesitated, and smoothed back Sarah's brown hair with one hand while the other hand scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I wasn't thinkin'. I knows you ain't crazy, I don't know why I said it."

Sarah rubbed her eyes and looked up at the dwarf, whose look of relief was so comical that she almost smiled. If his tears had made her feel uncomfortable, she could only imagine what hers did to him. "It wasn't that, Hoggle. Not you at all." She took his hand and gave it a brief squeeze. "I'm just worried about you guys, that's all. Hoggle! Do you know how Ludo and Sir Didymus are? Are they all right?"

He grunted and shook his head. "We went our separate ways after that business with Jareth. Ludo went with Didymus and that dog of his. I don't know where they went to." He shrugged apologetically. Sarah's posture sagged a bit, but she sat up almost at once, and seemed to be thinking. Hoggle sat down again, but he knew that sleep was now impossible. 

Sarah opened to the title page, and saw a line drawing of the Goblin King himself staring back at her. The drawing winked at her, and the border began to glow. The drawing turned into a window of some sort; the scene was moving, reminding her of that Stephen King movie, 'It', where the killer clown Pennywise was on the warpath. In the movie, It could make any number of things happen to feed its insatiable appetite for raw child flesh. One thing It did was make an old photograph come alive, in an attempt to scare the 'Losers Club', the group of seven kids who eventually defeated it, into submission. She closed the book, and muttered, "Tomorrow."

"What?" asked Hoggle.

"I'll figure this out tomorrow." She replied. She put the book down on the coffee table, and asked Hoggle if he would like something to eat.

The dwarf nodded, "I'll go with you; that book's givin' me the creeps." He got to his feet, and followed close behind her. Both were dismayed when they got to the kitchen; Mr. Williams was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a cheese sandwich. He looked up to see Sarah standing in the doorway, and Hoggle half eclipsed by her right leg. "I thought you'd be in bed by now." Sarah said by way of a feeble explanation.

"Ditto. Come on in, have a seat."

Sarah looked down at Hoggle, nodded in the direction of the table, and headed for the fridge. Hoggle had no trouble getting into the chair, which was rather big for him, and he nodded politely to Sarah's father. Sarah placed a ham sandwich and a glass of milk down in front of Hoggle, and got an apple for herself. 

"So, tell me about this Jareth guy." 


	3. Intentions Revealed; Hoggle's Arm

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 3

Hoggle took a deep breath, let it out, and began, "Well, Sarah called him the Goblin King, and he is, but his reach extends far beyond the Labyrinth. He's a fae, though some calls 'em fairies. They're not, though. They's somethin' entirely diff'rent. They're born with magic in their blood. That's about as much as I know 'bout 'em, but that's what he is." He took a sip of his milk, and continued.

"Well, one thing he does is he turns the babies an' small children that get wished to his castle into goblins, if whoever wished them away don't make it through in time."

Peter nodded quietly, waited for Hoggle to continue, but he didn't. Apparently, that was all he was going to say. "So, what does he want with Sarah?"

"Well, um…I think he's…a bit taken with her." Hoggle kept his eyes firmly trained on the table.

"Okay, once and for all, is he dangerous?" Peter asked the both of them, having finally grown impatient, and both nodded. Hoggle looked up, and the knowing look in his eyes turned Peter's blood to ice water. Hoggle obviously knew a lot about this Jareth fellow, and a lot of what he knew wasn't pleasant.

"How dangerous?"

Hoggle leaned forward, and replied, "As dangerous as he wants to be. You've never had dealings before with a fae, have you?"

"No."

"Well, you don't want to. Not when they're as mad as he is. He can't get to Sarah, and believe me, I'm glad of that, but he's makin' life in the Underground a livin' hell." His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat and repeated, "A livin' hell."

"Sarah tells me he's been giving you nightmares, right?" 

Hoggle nodded, going white at the lips. Sarah hoped he wasn't going to pass out.

"The last one I had in the Underground came true and came after me. Damn near killed me." he seemed to be rubbing his arm, but was really pulling back his sleeve. There was a crude bandage on his forearm, and dried blood on the outside of the bandage. "I was lucky. I might not be the next time." He said, pulling his sleeve back down.

"That should really be changed." Peter told him, frowning with concern.

Hoggle shook his head, "Don't matter."

"It might. Supposing that thing that came after you was poisonous."

The dwarf looked up at Mr. Williams. "Then I'd be dead already."

"All right. So, what can we do about all this?"

Hoggle was silent, but Sarah stepped in. "I have something to show you." She left, and came back with the book and the note. "I found these on the windowsill a few minutes ago."

Mr. Williams took the note first, his face darkening with each syllable he read, and tossed it aside with a sneer at this 'Goblin King's' audacity. "This guy's got a lot of balls." He took the book, and flipped through it. "It's blank."

"No, it isn't. The title page…" Sarah looked, and saw the same moving picture, but it was plain that both Hoggle and her father saw nothing. Furthermore, she couldn't turn any pages beyond the title page.

"Sarah, you'll never get anywhere at this rate." Came Jareth's voice, and this time it wasn't in Sarah's head. All three of them could hear it. "You need to reach _into_ the picture before the pages will be open to you."

Peter stood up, looking for the source of the voice. "Is that you, Jareth?"

"You must be Sarah's father. I'd offer you my hand to shake, but I can't come in unless invited, you see." Jareth replied.

"What do you mean 'invited'?" Sarah's father snapped. Hoggle was holding onto Sarah's arm in a grip that hurt them both, but she hardly noticed it.

"Well, your dear daughter has cast me out, so to speak, and in order to return I must be invited. She has two things that I want."

"Yes?"

"She'll have to find that out for herself." The voice faded out. Hoggle grunted, made a mad dash for the back door, opened it, and disappeared into the night. In half a moment, they could hear him retching. Sarah hurried after him, mostly because she was worried about what Jareth might do to him if he left the house. Of course, her father hurried after her, and they both found the dwarf heaving into Dinah's forsythia bushes. Sarah nudged her father, and they both turned their backs. She knew Hoggle would be embarrassed, but she just wasn't willing to leave him alone out there, and Peter in turn wasn't willing to leave his daughter. Sarah gritted her teeth; being around sick people, especially when they were vomiting, had always been her main phobia, and it was taking all she had to keep from plugging her ears and running back inside.

Finally, Hoggle finished and straightened his posture a bit. He knew he'd find Sarah and her father standing there, but at the same time he had hoped he wouldn't. He put a bit of snow in his mouth, swallowed it carefully, and took Sarah's hand. She looked down, nudged her father again, and they trooped back inside. Sarah had her arm around the dwarf's shoulders to steady him a bit; he was a little dazed, and he stumbled once on the way. Sarah's father just followed behind, looking sober…and a bit sympathetic. After hearing that disembodied voice, his own stomach was doing flip-flops.

They went into the den, the snacks forgotten. Hoggle couldn't have eaten it anyway, and it was cold in the kitchen. "We really should change that dressing. I'll be back." Peter headed upstairs, and Sarah kept her arm around the dwarf as they sat facing the fire.

"Are you okay, Hoggle?" she asked quietly.

"Do I bloody-well look like it?" he snapped, regretting it almost before it was said. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

"But it is. I shouldn't be snappin' at you. I didn't mean it."

Sarah looked at him, and saw him filling up again. "I know you didn't, Hoggle. Just forget about it, okay?" she whispered, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

The dwarf nodded, furtively wiping his eyes while she politely looked in the other direction.

Sarah's father returned, carrying a first aid kit and a basin of water. "Here, let me see your arm." He told Hoggle, sitting down next to them. The dwarf hesitated, then rolled up his sleeve again, displaying a hairy forearm. Mr. Williams carefully removed the bandage, apologizing when the cloth tore at the ragged edges of the wound, making Hoggle hiss sharply through his teeth. There were three gashes in his flesh, each as long as Sarah's middle finger, and even the untrained eye could see that they probably should have been stitched up. They bled a little, since the seal had just been broken, but they didn't appear to be infected. Peter dipped a wash cloth into the warm water of the basin, and began to gently clean the wounds. 

Hoggle put his head in his free hand, closed his eyes, and began to breathe shallowly through his mouth. 

"You all right?" asked Sarah.

"Dizzy…" he mumbled.

Mr. Williams grabbed the pillow Hoggle had been using, and put it down behind the dwarf. "Here, lie down. You're not going to be sick again, are you?"

"No." Hoggle said, lying down. Sarah placed her hand on his forehead, mostly to keep him calm.

"Good. Don't look at it, and you'll be fine." Mr. Williams went back to cleaning the cuts. He patted them dry with another wash cloth, used the small tube of antibiotic ointment on them, and got out a gauze pad and a bandage roll. He finished with the dressing, and carefully pulled Hoggle's sleeve back down. "There. That ought to do it. Should I stay with you guys tonight?"

Hoggle shook his head, and Sarah looked up and echoed the gesture. Mr. Williams nodded, said good-night, and turned to leave.

"Uh, Mr. Williams?" 

Mr. Williams turned around, smiling slightly. "Call me Peter."

"Um…Thanks."

"You're welcome. 'Night all." He headed for the bedroom he shared with his wife, his face creased with worry as soon as he was out of their line of sight. What was Sarah getting herself into? And, more importantly, how could he prevent it?

Sarah drew the blankets up to Hoggle's chin, and he smiled wryly. "I thought you wasn't gonna tuck me in." 

"I lied." She smiled back. Then she lifted her chin resolutely as she stared into the fire. "Don't worry, I'll find some way to fix this."

Hoggle shook his head firmly, "Don't you be doing nothin' crazy, Sarah!" 

When she didn't answer him, he took her hand and sat up so as to look her in the eye. "I means it, Sarah! I just wished myself here on impulse. I don't want you gettin' involved too deep! Sarah, don't you dare!" He tried to sound angry, but his voice was closer to panic than anger.

Sarah's face softened, and she pressed his hand and nodded. He sighed and dropped his head into his hands, looking like he had just had the scare of his life, never mind the nightmares. Sarah's face reddened with shame, and she put her arms around the dwarf as he recovered. "Go to sleep, Hoggle." She whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, I promise I won't do anything foolish. I promise."

Hoggle drifted off to sleep, or, to be more accurate, plunged into sleep almost at once. Sarah curled up on the sofa behind him, and sighed as she watched the little starbursts on the backs of her eyelids. 

__

It's not fair…


	4. Good Morning

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A chill wind blew in the Underground that night, reflecting its king's dour mood, or so it seemed to Ludo. He was glad to have his thick, shaggy coat that night. Didymus huddled against him for warmth, forming a sandwich between the monster and his own 'steed', Ambrosious. 

Ludo was the only one awake. He didn't need to sleep as often as did Sir Didymus, and had appointed himself the night guard. He would guard their sleep from the evil phantasms that showed themselves with every dream dreamt in the Underground. He had given himself a headache trying to figure out what they were, but he understood enough to know that the dreams had made them. He also knew how dangerous they were; the previous night, he had had to defend the three of them against themselves. Evil twins; he shuddered, blowing a puff of foggy breath into the night air.

The shaggy red monster found his thoughts wandering towards their dwarf friend, Hoggle. He had seemed like a first class grouch, but Ludo knew better. Jareth had essentially molded the little man's personality, like he had so many others. The monster scowled. All he knew about Jareth was that he was 'bad', and he knew deep down that Hoggle was 'good'. 

Poor Sarah, he thought. What was Jareth going to do to her when he finally got to her?

_Sarah…_

***

Jareth sat square in the middle of his large feather bed, his chin resting on his gloved knuckles as he gazed into a crystal at the sleeping Sarah. She had left the book on the kitchen table, though whether she had truly forgotten it was debatable. The Goblin King drew his knees up and banished the crystal, curling his bare toes on the silken coverlet as he heaved a great sigh of weariness. 

_How can she still defy me? How?_

The last time they had spoken face to face, he had literally begged her to stay with him, but she just plowed on ahead and said The Words that cast him out of her life and house…and did something else.

He would not beg again. Sarah would come to him, or her friends would be killed by their own subconscious visions, simple as that. But then he wondered, was this truly the way to obtain her? 

No. If they died, she would have no reason to go to him. So, he would just remove the danger factor from the phantasms; they would no longer have sufficient substance to cause physical harm to a body. They would still serve their purpose; the fear element would still be there. Meanwhile, he would let Sarah and Hoggle be. Hoggle was certainly no threat! And Sarah would need her sleep for what was coming…but what would that be?

Jareth sighed again, and headed for his lavish bathing chambers. No goblins were permitted beyond the thresh hold of his bedroom, so that part of his castle was infinitely cleaner than the rest of it.

He drew his own bath from halfway across the room, removed his clothing, and shuffled unselfconsciously over to the tub. He growled through his teeth as he sat down; the water was too hot, but he didn't feel like fixing it. He would get used to it in a short time, and then it would probably not feel hot enough. Jareth leaned back, folded his arms over his chest, and closed his eyes. Damned conscience…

He felt a twinge of guilt for what he was doing, but how else would he possess Sarah? At first, he had only been curious and mildly fascinated, but that was enough to hold a bored king's attention. As time had passed and he watched her make her way through his Labyrinth, solving puzzle after puzzle and coming out unscathed and undaunted, he had felt his heart turning over and becoming hot. And it was not just the goblin-made curried lamb he had had for lunch. He wanted this woman. Woman…he didn't think of her as a girl. No one her age had ever solved the Labyrinth before, and this was enough to make him want her for himself; he admired her determination. He would work on her stubbornness later. But he would not abolish it; that was part of her charm. And in time, she would round out a bit and make a fine lover for him. He wanted to be her first…experience, and he wanted her to be his.

His cupid's bow lips curved up in a smile, and he reached for the drink that had just appeared at his right hand. He sipped, grimaced; something had been wrong with his magic for some time (months, in fact), and he had just conjured up a glass of chocolate-laced tomato juice. "Damn…"

***

Hoggle opened his eyes late the next morning, and did a mental double take. The nightmares had not come that night. In fact, he didn't remember having dreamt at all. That in itself wasn't unusual; normally he didn't dream, or he didn't remember. But he hadn't had a nightmare!

The second thing he noticed was that Sarah was watching him. 

"Morning." She said in an undertone, "How'd you sleep?"

"All right." Hoggle replied, still half-asleep, "No dreams at all."

"Good." Sarah smiled, sitting up and running a hand through her sleep-tangled hair. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and groaned softly. "Oh, boy…couch arm gave me a sore neck."

Hoggle grinned in commiseration, "S'okay, floor gave me a sore back. Not that I'm complaining, though." He said hastily, thinking she might take it the wrong way. "I prefer that to sleeping on the ground. Um…Sarah, where's yer privy?" he avoided her eyes and blushed, evidently remembering the time when she had caught him relieving himself by the little pond near the Labyrinth's gate. Sarah told him where to go, and he left in a bit of a hurry.

Sarah could hear her stepmother making breakfast in the kitchen, and her father talking to her in a low voice about something or other. She knew what Toby was probably doing; in her mind's eye, she could see him sitting in his high chair with his finger in his mouth, drawing it down at the corner, while he waited for Dinah to give him his breakfast. He did that often, and it was quite funny to watch. He had taken to chewing on his fingers and just about everything that would fit in his mouth about a month before the Labyrinth 'incident', when he had first started teething.

Sarah met Hoggle in the hallway, and led him to the kitchen where he was greeted with a nod from Sarah's father and a disapproving look from her stepmother. Toby was, just as Sarah had predicted, chewing on his fingers.

"Morning, Sarah." Said her father, "And…Hoggle, isn't it?"

"Yup." The dwarf nodded, pleased that someone had remembered his name without having to be corrected.

"That's an interesting name," Dinah commented as Sarah and Hoggle seated themselves, "how did you come by it?"

"Well, my parents, I guess." Hoggle replied, a bit puzzled, "It's a dwarven name. I don't know what it means."

"A what kind of name?" asked Dinah, puzzled in her own turn.

"I ain't a human, so I don't have a human name." He explained. "Dwarves is a bit diff'rent."

"Oh…yes, I'm sure you are…" she blinked as if to give lie to her statement; she didn't sound sure. She went back to the eggs and bacon, a bewildered expression on her face. Sarah nudged Hoggle and rolled her eyes, and he couldn't hold back a snicker. Dinah looked over again, but she had just missed it; her stepdaughter and the dwarf were both wearing identical poker faces. Peter looked up and shrugged stupidly, all innocence.

_All right, Petey-me-boy, I'll find out later,_ her look told him; but her eyes weren't angry. The night before, Dinah had thought Sarah's closeness with Hoggle to be inappropriate, but that was fading. He obviously wasn't the dirty-old-man she had been afraid he might be, and they both seemed to equally need a friend. Sarah had been hugging him because he had been upset; that was all. Nothing dirty about that. He obviously wasn't the same sort of…dwarf…that he had been in the book. He was just a person, a normal person, despite his looks. They were just sharing a joke, the way any two friends would. It was clear that neither of them had romantic tendencies for the other. _Come on, Dinah, get your mind OUT of the gutter, and get back to making breakfast. _Just a mother's worries for her daughter…but she had to keep telling herself that Sarah wasn't her daughter by blood. She forgot sometimes…

Toby began to whimper, his fingers still in his mouth, and a runnel of drool dangling pendulously from his chin. Sarah went to the freezer, and got him his teething ring. He began to chew in earnest, his face a mask of concentration.

Dinah served breakfast for the five of them, giving Toby his cereal first, and tossed Merlin a dog biscuit.

***

Jareth watched Sarah and her family and friend eat with the rapt expression of a child at his first circus. He was unaware of the crystal he had cupped in his palm; he forgot where he was and what he had been planning to do. He could only stare silently at Sarah, Sarah and her happy family, and envy her happiness.


	5. Jareth's Threat

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 5

"What does he mean by 'I can't come in unless you invite me'? Is he some sort of vampire?" Dinah pressed.

"No, he's a fae." Sarah replied. "I said it right, didn't I?" she asked Hoggle. He nodded, and went on to explain what a fae was.

"They can change their shapes, and they has powers. Some of 'em get jobs as witch familiars, but that's usually just the weak ones. Jareth ain't weak." He shook his head for emphasis. "Not by a long shot. I seen him pulls crystal balls outta thin air; I seen him send 'em flyin' around the room."

"I was inside one of them." Sarah said quietly, remembering the ballroom and her dance with the illusory version of Jareth. It had seemed so real, but with Jareth nothing was as it seemed. Hoggle wore a pained look on his face, remembering the drugged peach he had given her. She had forgiven him for that, but he still hadn't completely forgiven himself. 

"What was it like?" Peter asked, his expression serious. It wasn't just curiosity that made him ask; he had to know what effect it had had on Sarah. Had it harmed her?

"It was…strange. That's really all I can tell you. It was like my head was stuffed with cotton. You know those weird mirrors in fun houses? It was sort of like that. When I tried to focus, I couldn't. Only Jareth was in focus, and now I know that it wasn't really him at all; it was just a dream."

"Dream crystals…" Hoggle mumbled, half to himself. Everyone looked at him, and he shifted in his chair and pretended to be fascinated with the tablecloth.

"It makes sense." Sarah agreed, cupping her chin in her palm.

"Yeah, to you two it does." Snorted Peter. He went to refill his coffee cup, and Dinah picked up the book. She tried to read it, but there was nothing to be seen. Sarah noticed that Dinah could turn the pages just as her father had, but when Sarah tried to see them her vision went dark, reminding her of her first fainting spell. No, she would have to reach inside the picture, just like Pennywise had reached out. She doubted she would be permitted to do so, and even if she was, she doubted she would have the courage if given time to think. That was why she had made so many rash decisions in the Labyrinth; she hadn't dared to stop and think.

"I don't understand. Why would he give you a blank book? Is it a diary, or something?" asked Dinah.

"No. At least, I don't think so. I can see the moving picture on the title page, but it seems no one else can. Jareth told me the other pages will be open when I've reached into the picture."

"This Jareth person can't take 'no' for an answer!" Dinah shook her head, incredulous. 

"I haven't said 'no' yet," Sarah said quietly, taking a long gulp of orange juice. 

"Well, _I _have!" Dinah slapped the book down on the table, making Sarah and Hoggle jump. "He has no business coming after my family, and you have no business going to him!"

Sarah narrowed her eyes, and seemed to be getting ready to bawl her stepmother out, when Hoggle stood up in his chair and blew a shrill whistle to get their attention. Both looked over at him, looking like cats that had just been doused with ice water. "Now, wait a minute. No needs to be havin' a fight here. Sarah, I agrees with yer stepmom on this one; you shouldn't be goin' to him for any reason. But I also knows what he can do. If he wants her, you can't stop him. There's no point in arguin' anymore." He finished strongly, but suddenly realized that he had their full attention, and their eyes were trained right on him like a policeman's searchlight. He sat down meekly, and began to play with his fork. 

Sarah paused with a toast wedge halfway to her mouth when Dinah excused herself from the room, retrieving Toby on the way. She looked first at her father, ashamed, then at Hoggle. The dwarf was still playing with his fork, his cheeks nearly purple with embarrassment. Peter followed his wife, stopping to give Sarah's shoulder a reassuring pat on the way. She lowered her forehead to her palm, and sighed, "Jeez…"

"I shoulda kept my trap shut." Hoggle reproached himself.

"No. _I_ should have. I never think before I talk." Sarah shook her head.

"Yer lucky, you know." Hoggle remarked, looking seriously up at Sarah.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," he began slowly, "looks to me like you're Daddy's Li'l Girl. _My _Pop woulda kicked my arse down the street for even lookin' like I was gonna disagree with 'im."

Sarah oriented her gaze on Hoggle, saw something behind his eyes that gave her some insight as to why he was so distrusting of other people. "He hit you?" she said quietly, her eyes full of disbelief.

Hoggle grunted, "Yes. Yes, he certainly did. Never forget how lucky you are, Sarah. They loves you. Never forget."

Sarah looked after her parents thoughtfully, and said, "I won't, Hoggle."

***

Jareth was growing impatient. Why hadn't Sarah used the window he had given her? He paced the length and breadth of his throne room, kicking any goblin who was stupid enough to get in his way. The odor of rancid sweat was thick in the air, but Jareth was used to it by now. Convincing a goblin to bathe was like pulling teeth. After several years of trying, he had finally given up and decided to live with it. 

Once, a fae from a neighboring province had come for a short business visit, and had complained that the stench was intolerable. "Why don't you just force them? Just toss them in a tub and give them a towel?" he had asked Jareth, while at the same time holding a perfumed handkerchief over his nose.

"My lord is very welcome to try it." Jareth had politely responded, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"All right, I will!" was the nobleman's angry reply. Ten minutes later, Jareth had found him sopping-wet and soapy, bound and gagged, with a bar of soap clenched immovably in his teeth behind the gag. Ten seconds later, the oh-so-noble Goblin King, the great and formidable Jareth, had collapsed on the tiled floor in convulsions of tearful laughter. Needless to say, the visiting noble was not amused. The language that had poured out of that man's mouth after he had been freed had half-tempted Jareth to make use of that soap. He had not, though. He had made several deeply formal and shallowly sincere apologies, and had sent the disgruntled nobleman on his 'merry' way.

That had been great fun, but nobody ever again suggested to a goblin that he needed to take the dreaded B-word. 

Jareth produced a crystal, and looked in on Sarah. She was still sitting at the breakfast table, apparently having a heart-to-heart with Hoggle. No sound. The fae cocked his head to one side and studiously watched them, trying unsuccessfully to read their lips. The crystal was blurry; this wasn't right. At that moment, the expression 'crystal clear' was an oxymoron. The image winked out, leaving a brief dot of light in the middle before going black. Jareth shook the crystal like a medicine bottle, and the picture came back again, this time a bit clearer. 

"Ah, good." Jareth breathed. He could hear them now. Before he knew what they were talking about, Sarah's father came back.

"Is she crying?" Sarah asked anxiously, a little shamefaced.

Peter nodded tiredly, plunking himself into his seat.

"Why can't I learn to keep quiet?" Sarah berated herself. Hoggle looked up at her, but couldn't seem to find his voice. He looked back down again. Peter didn't say anything. 

Jareth felt that he had waited long enough. "All right, you three. This is the last time I will do this; are you coming, or do I have to pull you in?"

Mr. Williams stood up, reaching for his pen knife, much to Jareth's amusement. "She's not going anywhere. So, you just back off, and go play in your little maze with those goblins of yours. We don't want you interfering in our lives."

Hoggle gaped at him in horror, his face the color of cottage cheese.

Jareth's pale face reddened. "You dare to threaten me?"

"Yeah, I dare." Peter told him with more conviction than he felt.

"What a pity…" 

Sarah bit her lip; she'd heard those words before. Jareth was getting angry. "Daddy, no!"

"I've had enough of this. Either you grant your daughter your feeble permission, or I will kill her. Do you understand me? I—will—kill—her." He warned, carefully enunciating each word.

Running footsteps; Dinah appeared in the kitchen doorway with Toby, out of breath and very white. She had heard everything. "No!" she cried tearfully, "No, don't hurt my daughter! Please!"

Sarah stared; Dinah had never called her 'daughter'. It was always 'Sarah', or 'stepdaughter'. She had said _daughter._ She threw one arm around Sarah, sobbing softly into the girl's hair. Her husband hovered over her, his complexion even whiter than Hoggle's; Hoggle's face was naturally dark anyway. Toby wailed. Peter dropped the knife with a clatter, wrapping his arms protectively about his family. Hoggle held onto Sarah for dear life. Merlin put his ears back, bared his teeth, and began snapping menacingly at the air, which was something that Sarah had never thought she would see him do. The dog snarled viciously, showing every one of his yellowing teeth; spittle sprayed with every bark. 

"If she goes, I go with her." Peter informed Jareth.

"No, not you. Just Sarah and Hoggle. Step away from them now." He told them. Mr. Williams set his jaw stubbornly, until he saw his pen knife rising from the floor. Every knife in the kitchen came out from it's respective hiding place, each one trained at the huddled group. Peter pulled Dinah away, though he had a difficult time doing it, and the knives dropped to the floor. Merlin backed into a corner, hunched over and still baring his teeth. 

Sarah reached for the book. If Hoggle hadn't already visited the facilities, he would definitely have wet his pants. Sarah opened to the title page, gripped Hoggle's hand firmly, and touched the picture. And that was it; they were gone.

Dinah crumpled to the floor, rocking the screaming Toby in her lap, and sobbing hysterically. Peter knelt down beside her and rubbed her back, and he wasn't surprised to find his own cheeks wet. What had he just done?

The book remained on the table, if either of them had just thought to look. It was open to the title page, and the picture, now frozen, would have been visible to them. Sarah stood in the Goblin King's throne room, a small blue book clasped in her left hand, and Hoggle's own hand clasped in her right. 

It was some time before they actually did look.

***

The first thing Sarah saw were Jareth's shiny, black boots. Her eyes traveled upwards, meeting knee, belt buckle, torso, and finally…

Their eyes met. Jareth smiled, held his arms open wide, as if to encompass the whole world. "Welcome, dear Sarah. Welcome, once again, to my home!"


	6. It's Your Choice...

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 6

Sarah gave the appearance of a guppy, standing there with wide-open mouth as she stared at him. First the color left her cheeks, then it returned strong, staining her face a deep, bright scarlet. Now it was her turn to be angry, but her numbed lips refused to form words.

Jareth placed his gloved hands on his hips, and approached them slowly, like a stalking cat. "Why don't you answer?"

"What do you want me to say?" she asked dully.

"Ah, no, this won't do. We're beginning very badly." He held out a hand, palm-up, and beckoned. "Come here."

Sarah let go of Hoggle's hand, and slowly inched her way forward. Hoggle remained where he was, looking about as sick with fear as a dwarf could look.

"You too, Hoggle."

The dwarf, too, approached, albeit very reluctantly. Jareth ignored him after his first step had been made, and spent a good long moment studying Sarah. "Well, now, I think it's time we sat down and had a little talk, don't you?" He turned on his heel, though not before jerking his head in the direction of one of the doors. Sarah and Hoggle found each other's hands without taking their eyes off him, and followed at the slow pace of a child who knows he's about to receive a spanking.

Jareth led them into a reasonably uncluttered room, and sat down sideways on the window seat. Hoggle and Sarah found chairs, and waited. "Well, Sarah, would you care to save a lot of valuable time by giving yourself to me? Or shall we do this the hard way?" he smiled charmingly. Hoggle's eyes narrowed in disgust. Sarah stared at her folded hands and said nothing. Jareth nodded sagely, as if he expected it, and went on almost cheerfully, "Very well, your choice. First of all, I wouldn't have actually hurt you; the main thing was to get you here. Now, you will tell me what you have done to me." His smile turned icy, and his miss-matched eyes turned a wintery blue.

Sarah shook her head slowly. "I don't know what you mean."

"I haven't been able to cast a decent spell in months, and you seem to have acquired some interesting powers of your own."

"Like what?"

Jareth raised an eyebrow, and got up to pace the room. Agitation was evident in his every movement. "Little things, too insignificant to really mention, except for one; you can call my subjects from my world to your own with no effort at all! No human can do that, not even those gifted in their feeble version of magic. Now, you are not a fae, so you should not be able to do this. On the other hand, I _am_ a fae, a fae of considerable power, and now I find that power literally cut in half!" He brought his right hand down in a slicing motion, and sat down again. He shook his head as something dawned on him. "I really believe that you don't know what you've done! Or, even, how you've done it. This alters things a little." He frowned.

"What…what do you think I did?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Somehow, half of my magic got siphoned into you. I've known that for months. I brought you back so that I could make you restore me, but how can I now?" he threw up his hands, and began to pace the room again.

"What's the second thing you wanted?"

Jareth stopped, turned, and smiled slowly at her as she cringed. She knew what was coming, and so did Hoggle. 

"I want _you._ I thought you knew that already." He extended his hand towards her as if presenting her with himself in some small way, and she slouched down in her seat so that her head was level with Hoggle's. Jareth drew his hand back with a look of slight displeasure on his face, and continued, "But that can wait. Right now, we must find some way to reverse this. Or, rather, you must. I can't tell you how to do it, because it is different for every fae." 

"But I'm _not _a fae!" she cried in exasperation.

"This hardly matters. You have a fae's powers; _my_ powers, and they've somehow adapted themselves to you. Only you can do this. You will cover as much of the Underground as you need to find your special way. I can't help you in this."

"But why can't you just use your power to do the same thing?" 

Jareth held up his finger for silence, and replied, "Because then I'd be giving my power to you. I wish to be restored. Of course, if you were willing to stay with me…" he advanced slowly, "I might be willing to let you keep that other half of my powers."

Sarah stood up quickly, and hurried to stand behind her chair. "No deal. I just want this thing out of me!"

"And never be able to see Hoggle or the others again?" he asked with mock gravity. Her face fell, and she bit her lip. "Yes, I suggest you think it through very thoroughly."

He turned and left the room, locking them in.

***

Jareth leaned against the locked door, and closed his eyes. _How could I have been so utterly stupid? Of course she didn't know what happened. Now what?_ He didn't like to admit it, but this revelation had frightened him badly. How had she done it? How? And without his knowing about it! She was just an ordinary human. No, not ordinary, but definitely a human. So how had she done it? 

This wasn't going right at all. Threatening Sarah was no way to make her love him; he had tried that before. He could force her, but would get no enjoyment out of it, knowing that she was not enjoying it. He _wanted_ her to enjoy him. Wasn't it a privilege to a human to be chosen by a fae? Of course it was! But she was treating it like it was a punishment. Magic could not create love, or he would have used it already. It could only bring out feelings that were already there, and at the moment Sarah only had fear and anger directed at him.

How to get his magic back? He would just have to trust her to take the right paths. 

***

"Sarah, you has to go back." Hoggle whispered as soon as they were alone. 

"I—I don't know how!" she sat down next to him, giving way to the tears that had been threatening since she had arrived there. Hoggle just sat there and held her hand, saying nothing. Of course, there was nothing to be said. He could tell her not to cry, but he felt as bad as she did. He couldn't think of anything to tell her, and he knew that words would make no difference. They were stuck in their situation, and there was nothing they could do. Sarah could leave with her newly discovered magic, but she didn't know how. In a sense, Jareth really _did _have some power over her.

They sat there for some time, until a hand closed over Sarah's shoulder, making her give a muffled scream. 

Jareth stood behind her, and the look on his face puzzled her more than anything else had. There was pain in his eyes. Real pain. "Sarah, you've nothing to weep for. I've come to a decision; if you go on this quest and figure out how to use your powers, I will let you decide what to do from there."

Sarah looked at Hoggle in disbelief, and he shrugged. He didn't know what was happening either.

"You will start tomorrow morning. I will see about your rooms. Hoggle will go with you." His face became impassive again, and he left the room. Hoggle gave Sarah his handkerchief, and they sat and waited. 

"Yet another trip through the Labyrinth." Sarah muttered.

Hoggle grunted negatively, "I don't think so. He's the only fae around here. I think he means for us to go in search of other fae that knows more than him, an' kin teach ya better than he can. I think he would if he could." 

"But…I don't understand."

The dwarf got up, and went over to the window. "Neither do I."


	7. Settling In

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 7

"Dinah, the book's still here!" 

"Wh—what?" Dinah turned from the act of leaving the room, and looked hopefully at her husband. Peter was holding the blue book in the air and waving it like it was a golden ticket, looking like he was getting ready to jump up and down. Dinah put Toby in his high chair, where he began to comfort himself with his teething ring, and snatched the book from Peter's hands. She opened to the title page, and tried what Sarah had done two hours ago; it didn't work. The picture was just that; a picture. "Oh, Peter!" She covered her mouth and turned away.

"Now, wait a minute. He said the pages would be open to her if…Maybe…" He took the book and turned to the next page. There was no text; there were two more pictures, one of Sarah sitting beside Hoggle and crying, and one of Jareth standing with his back to a door, his face troubled. _Good…_

Peter tried to turn to the last page, but dropped the book with a yell and began to wring his hand; the book had given him a burn.

"No fair peeking at the end!" Jareth's voice chided him.

"Sonofabitch, where are you!" He shouted.

"That doesn't matter."

"Well, come on, let's have this out face to face!"

Peter could feel a small, electric jolt seem to go through the foundations of the house, and he could hear the fae laughing at him. "Oh, to be sure, I shall! But not right away. I shall arrive tonight, just in time for supper. Does seven sound all right?"

"You—what?" Peter caught himself when he realized what he had done.

"You've invited me in, silly boy! I shall bring the food. How does Chinese sound? You like shrimp fried rice? I've always been partial to seafood." More laughing. "Or, maybe, some oysters; the perfect aphrodisiac! No, I think Chinese will be best. See you at seven!" The voice faded out again, and Peter crossed his arms stubbornly.

"I hate Chinese food!" 

***

Jareth chuckled quietly; now he knew who had given Sarah her stubbornness. She had gotten her temper from her actress mother, Linda, but the stubbornness was all Peter's. 

He also remembered watching Hoggle when he was just a small, dwarf boy; his stubbornness had often gotten him in trouble with his father's temper. Hoggle now looked nothing like he had back then; more often than not he had sported a black eye or a split lip. Other than that, he was rather cute, as dwarf children went. His hair had been light brown, and his face had been almost as smooth as Sarah's was now. 

Dwarves lived a long time, but that time was nothing to a fae. Jareth had watched Hoggle grow up into an angry sort of man, who had become hard in order to protect himself. He was the perfect candidate for a servant; his father had destroyed his resolve, and Jareth had found it easy to sway him. Hoggle felt anything but safe, but at least he actually had someone to…not look up to, but _serve_. This was a familiar routine, and at least Jareth hadn't hit him! But Sarah had given him back his resolve, turning him against Jareth, and, in some strange way, causing the dwarf to depend on _her_.

Jareth snorted. Hoggle had not served his purpose. Jareth didn't know why, but Hoggle just disgusted him. Even before Hoggle had betrayed him, he just could not stand him. Perhaps this was why Sarah was refusing to obey him; she had witnessed Jareth's cruelty to him. 

All right, no more cruelty. He could do it.

Jareth checked on Sarah and Hoggle's rooms, found them ready, and sent a goblin to fetch them. They would be allowed to visit each other's rooms only under close supervision. Jareth didn't like to do that, but he couldn't have them conspiring to escape.

_Ah, here they come. What the…_

"No, no, no, no, no!" Jareth shouted at the goblin, who was prodding them with his spear, and who had tied their hands behind their backs. "What are you doing? I told you, they must not be treated roughly!"

"But—but the dwarven scum here knocked me down!" the goblin protested as it dodged Jareth's kick.

"He hit Sarah!" the dwarf snarled, twisting as he tried to shake off his bonds. 

Jareth's face turned murderous. 

"She deserved it!" the goblin protested, "You should have heard what she called you!"

Jareth turned to Sarah, and he saw the coin-sized bruise blossoming on her right cheekbone. She lifted her head, and stared at him defiantly. Jareth looked her in the eye, and said, "I don't care what she called me. You were not to touch her, and you disobeyed me." He turned to the trembling goblin, and said in a low, ominous tone, "I will deal with _you _later. Get out."

The goblin quickly complied, fearfully anticipating a dip in the Bog. Jareth touched Sarah's bruise, and she made no move. He examined it closely, his jaw muscles clenching in anger. "Sarah, I must apologize. I had no way of anticipating this."

She turned her head away, looking fixedly at the grimy wall. "Will you please untie us?" she asked in a monotone. Jareth blinked, and waved his hand. Sarah's bonds fell away, but Hoggle's remained fast. Jareth frowned, waved his hand again. Nothing. He sighed, and got down on one knee to untie him. Hoggle stood still, though he looked like he really wanted to let Jareth have it.

"Well, your rooms are this way." Jareth stood, and headed down another hallway. "Food will be brought, if you ask for it. You may visit each other, but not alone. I will be gone for most of the evening."

Jareth opened two doors, each on opposite sides of the hall, and told them who belonged to which. Then, he left them to their own devices. An old female goblin took her post by Sarah's door, while a nondescript male took his post by Hoggle's.

Of course, they didn't stay put once Jareth had left. Hoggle went into Sarah's room, the goblins in tow, and they sat down by the fireplace. The goblins were surprisingly polite, and kept to a quiet corner of the room while the two friends talked.

"Does it hurt?" Hoggle asked anxiously, referring, of course, to her bruise.

"Just a little. I would have ducked, but I didn't think he'd actually do it."

"Never assume with a goblin, Sarah," Hoggle admonished, getting into a better position to examine her face. "Them's crazy; ya never knows what they'll do. You can't tell me that don't hurt; I've had 'em like that enough to know what it's like. I'm surprised the skin ain't broke." His brow beetled, and he looked about the room as if searching for something to throw. He saw the goblins watching them, and balled his hands into fists. "What?" he demanded loudly, "Can't ya leaves us in peace?"

The male shook his head almost kindly, and said, "Orders is orders. We don't like it any better than you do." 

The female nodded, and said, "Don't worry, whatever you say here won't go beyond these walls unless yer plottin' an es-cape."

"Huh!" Hoggle bit down on his temper, and sighed, "Do me a favor, an' go get some ice for Sarah."

The male left, and another one came in to take his place. Hoggle sat back down, shaking his head and muttering to himself. "Can't tell _me_ he din't know it would happen."

In truth, Hoggle looked more upset about Sarah's bruise than she herself was. He sat cross-legged, with his tightly clenched fists plastered firmly on his knees. His muscles were so tight that he was shaking, and he kept muttering over and over, "Can't tell me, can't tell _me_" Sarah put her hand on his shoulder, and he remembered where he was. He put a hand up to his face, wiping at the sweat and breathing hard. Sarah had read about something called 'flashbacks', and she realized that he had just had one. "What—what was I saying?"

"Nothing, Hoggle. You all right?"

"Y—yeah…" he gave his head a brief shake, like he had swimmer's ear, and sighed.

The ice came, and Hoggle told Sarah to hold it up to her face and not take it off. It was wrapped up in a reasonably clean dishtowel, so that the cold wouldn't burn her skin, or so the goblin had said. 

Hoggle stared into the glowing coals of the fire, and shivered. It was cold in that room.

***

The doorbell rang at precisely seven o'clock, and Peter Williams looked through the peephole. He saw no one. He looked out the window, and saw an owl sitting on the doormat like a cat that wanted in. He cautiously opened the door, and the owl set its talons into a paper bag that Peter had not noticed before, and flew right on into the kitchen. Dinah screamed and grabbed a broom, but Peter stopped her just in time. The owl lowered the bag onto the table, and perched onto the back of one of the chairs.

Peter edged forward, and the owl hooted in what sounded like a greeting. "Jareth?"

The owl dismounted, and dropped to the floor. Then, in a swirl of bright, white feathers and tiny motes of light, the owl became a tall man with a mane of shaggy blond hair and oddly upswept eyebrows. His eyes, one brown and one blue, glinted with tame amusement. "In the flesh."


	8. Dinner at the Williams's; Onward!

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jareth reeled backwards as Peter's fist connected with his chin, and just barely managed to catch himself on the edge of the table. His magic hadn't saved him that time, but he wasn't a bit surprised. He put his fingers to his face while Peter held his own bruised hand.

"We can't begin this way." Jareth said somewhat indistinctly; he had bitten his tongue. "Are we going to have a civilized dinner, or do I have to turn you both into bullfrogs?"

Dinah gripped her husband's arm, and gave him The Look. He nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But don't think I'm through with you yet." 

Jareth flashed him a wry grin, and conceded, "Of course not. Well, lets begin, shall we?" He began rifling through the paper bag that had 'Ming's Authentic Chinese Food' printed in big, bold red letters on the side. "Well, sit down! They have very good pepper steak, and their Peking duck is out of this world. Their candied ginger tastes like soap, but what can I say."

Dinah went to get some paper plates, but returned to find Jareth putting out her good China. "Fitting, wouldn't you say?" he winked, and she tossed the paper plates onto the table.

"We're using these, or I don't eat." She stated firmly. Jareth regarded her with amusement, and put the China back into the cabinet.

"Very well. Sit."

The fae sat down at the head of the table, and began to divvy out the food. He paused, fixing them with an extremely annoyed glare, and they finally deigned to sit. 

"What about Sarah?" Peter demanded.

"She's safe. I've given her a room near Hoggle. They will be spending the night at my castle, and will be starting out tomorrow."

Dinah blinked. "Wait, starting out where?" 

"Patience, I'll tell you in due time. Eat." As if to demonstrate, he bit off the end of an egg roll, chewed slowly, and dipped it into a bowl of plum sauce. "It's quite good, you know. I can't find really good Chinese food in my castle." 

Jareth and Dinah managed the chopsticks very well, but Peter gave up when he dropped a hot shrimp into his lap. He returned to his place, knife and fork in hand, and began to eat grudgingly. The Goblin King winked slyly, and said, "I thought you hated Chinese food."

"I do."

Jareth shrugged, and daintily sucked the meat from a snow crab leg. "Well, perhaps it's time we got down to business. You wish to know why I'm here."

"That would be nice."

"Mmm, well…" Jareth wiped his mouth, "She seems to have gotten half of my power, somehow, and I want it back."

"How did this happen?" asked Dinah.

"I assumed she'd know…but she doesn't. All that remains now is that I get it back. That's why you, my dear fellow, were able to get in that…crackerjack shot. My power essentially fizzled out at the last minute. Don't think it pleasures me to admit to this. Really, it's terribly embarrassing."

"When's Sarah coming back?" Peter interrupted, earning a truculent frown from Jareth, "And why are you tormenting her friends with those nightmares?"

"I needed to get her to come back. And the nightmares will continue until I have what I want. Now, I suggest that for the sake of your daughter's welfare and that of your own sanity, you stay out of my way." He disappeared, along with a good portion of the food. 

***

"This is really good!" Jareth murmured to himself, alternately chewing on an egg roll and a 'beef-on-a-stick'. Goblins were actually passable cooks, but they made nothing like this! Ah, the wonders of MSG…

He paused by Sarah's door, chewing thoughtfully as he tried to decide. The goblin woman saluted him, and he nodded absently. He handed her the food and looked his pocket watch, and saw that it was about 13:35. Time passed to Jareth's liking in the Labyrinth, so while Sarah's parents were 'enjoying' their meal, Sarah herself was almost certainly in bed. Should he visit her, or no? "She sleeps?" he asked.

The gobliness pursed her lips so that they resembled a withered old mosquito proboscis, and nodded. "I think so, Milord. At least, she was when I left her."

"That is well. See that no one disturbs me." He pushed past the gobliness, and slowly eased the door open. Soft candlelight greeted him, along with the sweet scent of a freshly bathed young girl, which he inhaled eagerly. Closing the door behind him, he padded softly over to Sarah's bed and peered intently down at her in the peach-tinted glow. His breath caught in his throat, as it always did when he observed her sleeping. He inhaled again…roses! She had bathed in rose scented bath oil. 

Ah, her beautiful angel's face! Marred only by the bruise on her cheek, it rivaled that of the most beautiful fae woman. Her petal mouth parted slightly in sleep, her breath stroking his face with ethereal fingers. He lightly put his hands on her down comforter, and slowly drew it down to view the rest of her. She was wearing a silken nightgown, which he had laid out for her himself; she was not stubborn enough to reject that. He passed his hands slowly over her sleeping form, almost touching, but not quite; he could feel the heat radiating from her body, triggering an answering heat in his groin…

He straightened quickly, drew the covers back up, and left the room.

***

"Mornin', miss." Came the dry, creaky voice of Sarah's appointed guard, the gobliness. "You're to get up at once, an' dress an' meet his Majesty in twenty minutes. Now, here's yer clothes, don't be all day about it."

It was the very crack of dawn, and Sarah was annoyed. This gobliness had been pestering her all evening, talking about things that ranged from mildly interesting to downright disgusting, and bossing her about in a matronly fashion. She hadn't even turned her back when Sarah had bathed, and the girl had to just sit there in the nude while this creature bustled obliviously about the room like a mayfly. Still, that was better than being attended by a male goblin. Now, her sleep was being disturbed.

"It's still _dark_ outside!" she protested feebly, clutching her filmy night dress about her body.

"His Majesty commands it. Skeered of the dark?"

Sarah decided not to respond to this. She reached for the clothes, and found them at the foot of her bed. These were the same clothes she had worn the day before, cleaned and pressed and sweet-smelling. Everything was there. Her jeans, her hunter-green sweater, her socks, even her undergarments. She blushed. _Had Jareth seen these?_

Well, almost everything was there. Her shoes were missing. In their place was a pair of brown leather calf-high boots. There was also something new; it was deep purple, whatever it was. It sort of resembled a cloak, but it had sleeves and a hood. It wasn't a jacket or a coat, though how she knew that was anyone's guess, including her own. She dressed quickly, and was literally pushed out into the hall where she met a bedraggled and thoroughly annoyed Hoggle. He had obviously slept in his clothes, having refused to strip in front of the goblin (or anyone else, for that matter), and was refusing to talk to anyone until Sarah appeared. 

"How is that?" Hoggle asked, pointing to Sarah's bruised cheek.

"It's all right. How'd you sleep?"

He answered with a grunt and a vague shrug, and she thought it best to drop it. The circles under his eyes said it all. They sleepily trudged after the goblins, who led them to a small alcove with a fountain and bade them to wash. Sarah dipped her hands into the water, and Hoggle splashed some onto his face to wake himself up. He sputtered a bit, and wiped his face on a clean bath towel. The water actually had a thin sheet of broken ice floating on top. He shivered as water seeped into his collar and ran down his back. 

The gobliness noticed, and nodded apologetically. "That used to be heated by his Majesty's power, but now…"

"That'll do, Lola." Jareth interjected, somewhat nettled that he was being discussed behind his back. 

"Yes, Majesty." She stepped back, and left the room with the male.

"Well, good morning, Sarah. How are you enjoying your stay?" he asked, leaning against the doorjamb. 

She thought for a moment, and said, "I…very nice."

Jareth nodded and looked like he expected more, but she was looking down at her feet. He turned his gaze to Hoggle, who took a step back but met his eyes stubbornly. "You're getting braver, Hoggle. You are no longer afraid of me?"

"'Course I am…but I got no choice."

"Ah, yes…she _is _your _friend_, after all, right?" he mocked, forgetting his resolution to be civil.

Sarah took a step forward, laid a hand on Hoggle's shoulder, and replied coldly, "Yes, I am. And he's my friend, like it or not." Hoggle looked up at her in surprise that was mixed with wonder; that she could be so cocky! He shivered involuntarily, and stepped away. Sarah never even noticed. She was staring at Jareth with something that made both dwarf and fae respectfully silent; open hatred flashed as she stared down her enemy. And her enemy backed off, almost humbly. 

"I apologize, Sarah. And Hoggle." His voice turned cold. "Come with me, now."

"Where are we going?" asked Sarah.

Jareth didn't answer. Sarah pressed her lips together and jogged after him. Hoggle followed at a flat run, barely managing to keep Sarah's cloak in sight. She paused to wait, but he waved her on. He knew where Jareth was headed; he would catch up eventually. 

Sarah followed Jareth into what she called 'the Escher Room', and stopped short. He smiled engagingly at her, and stepped off the ledge onto what looked like thin air. "I'll bet you wish you had known about this the last time you were here. The air bridge would have saved you some time and effort. Keep your eyes on my back; vertigo is a dangerous thing in this room. I won't be able to slow your fall this time." He began to walk forward, slowly, for her benefit. She took a tentative step, and expected nothing less than a fall to her death. It was like she never left the stone steps. She could hear Hoggle's tiny steps tapping in the hall behind her, and stopped to wait for him.

"Don't dawdle." Jareth warned, not looking back. "He will be fine. He used to work for me, remember? He knows his way around." 

Sarah looked down, and felt her gorge rise in her throat. "I…I can't move…" The room began to tilt, and she was in Jareth's arms. Real worry showed on his face, and he lifted her carefully.

"God's teeth, don't faint here!" he panted, carrying her across the bridge. She swooned momentarily against his breast, her near-accident playing over and over in her mind. What if he hadn't caught her? Then she realized who's arms she was in, and looked up at Jareth in disgust. 

"Put me down." She told him, looking him dead in the eye as he tightened his grip on her.

"No. I don't want you to fall."

"I won't fall, just put me down!" she began to struggle. He didn't answer, and it didn't matter anyway; they had reached the far end, and he did as she had asked. He offered her his arm, but she ignored him. She turned to wait for Hoggle, and Jareth folded his arms in resignation. 

The dwarf was slowly making his way across the air bridge, his teeth clenched behind ashen lips, and his eyes trained firmly on Sarah. It was obvious that he had crossed the bridge before, but that didn't stop him from being frightened. Sarah had no trouble understanding why, and she stood stock-still, ignoring Jareth in favor of her friend. Hoggle reached the end of the bridge with a sigh, and Sarah turned to see that Jareth was gone. Hoggle beckoned, and went through the doorway. 

The doorway led from the Escher Room to an enclosed balcony, and Jareth was seen standing by one of the windows. "See?" he pointed at Hoggle, "All in one piece. Some breakfast?"

Sarah looked over at the table, and spied what looked like leftover Chinese food. She frowned, but consented to nibble on one of the pot stickers. Hoggle swallowed hard, but didn't dare show his distaste. He followed Sarah's example and ate like a bird.

Sarah noticed that Jareth wasn't eating, and the food stuck in her throat as she wondered why. Was this food enchanted like the peach had been? He caught her eye, and shook his head. "Not to worry, it's safe."

"Why aren't you eating, then?" she countered evenly.

"I am unwell this morning." He frowned. Sarah looked at him closely, and shrugged. He did seem a bit pale, even for him. Sarah ate as much as she could stomach, which wasn't much, and pushed her plate away.

"Finished? Good. I am…very sorry to be sending you out into the Underground during the winter season, but I have no choice."

Sarah sneered quietly. _Yes, poor, poor Jareth! What about Hoggle? How much more will he and the others have to go through? Where are the others?_

"Why can't you just stay with me, Sarah? I would make you happy…I would give you anything." He pleaded suddenly.

"Maybe if you stopped the nightmares…" she hedged, though the idea of spending the rest of her life with this man made her stomach cold.

"I can't" he hissed. "You halved my powers, remember? This was easy to start, but now it's so big that I can't stop it! Not without my full power. I can make it worse," he hinted, "but I can't stop it."

She perceived his veiled threat, and her eyes hardened. How dare he!

"Do not look at me in that fashion! I could force you to remain with me, but I am giving you the choice!" he snapped at her, unintentionally spitting in her eye. He forced himself to be calm, and continued, "I suggest you use it. I've tried to reason with you, but I see that I have failed in that endeavor. Go out through those glass doors, and down the spiral staircase. A goblin will meet you with supplies." He left for the Escher Room, and Sarah shuddered and folded her arms over her small breasts. From the Escher Room door, one could look to the left and see a door opening seemingly into nothing. Sarah opened the door, and saw a stairway with a guardrail winding its way down around the tower to the ground. 

Sarah and Hoggle met the goblin, who gave them food and a ride beyond the Goblin City and the Labyrinth, where they were left to fend for themselves. The sun was up now, and Sarah looked down to see Hoggle hugging himself and stamping to keep himself warm. Jareth hadn't even given him a coat! When Sarah voiced her displeasure of the fact, Hoggle waved it off, and told her not to worry. 

"My house is nearby. We'll stop there first, and get some real food. What was that…stuff?" he wrinkled his nose.

"Chinese food, I believe. Dinah loves it, but my dad can't stand it. I can take it or leave it, but it had probably been sitting out overnight. Maybe that's why Jareth was 'unwell'."

"I can relate. It ain't sittin' right with me either." Hoggle rubbed his belly theatrically, and Sarah smiled.

"Let's go, before you turn into an icicle." 

Hoggle led the way, and she followed him a short distance to a small house with a low doorway. He frowned sheepishly. "I know how it looks."

"Looks all right to me." she smiled. He led her in, and began to rummage through a closet for his snow clothes. Sarah was able to stand upright, but her head brushed the ceiling. Hoggle came out of the closet, slightly dusty and smelling of moth balls, and carrying his coat, leggings, and snow boots in one arm. 

"I won' be long. Just gonna get us somethin' for later." He stuffed a good amount of venison jerky into their packs, along with some dried beans and a few onions. "Hopefully we won't need all this. There's inns along the way, but how many there is depends on where ya wanna git to." He removed his shoes, and began to pull on his leggings. Soon they were ready, and they set out in the direction that Hoggle had suggested. They would search for Ludo and Sir Didymous.


	9. Deadly Fever; Hoggle's Terrible Secret

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 9

"Hold on a minute, Sarah." Hoggle gasped, leaning against a tree.

"What's wrong?" 

"Just have to rest a minute." He said. 

"You feel all right?" she asked, kneeling down beside him. She noticed that his cheeks were stained a dark red. He was actually perspiring. She felt his forehead. It was hot. On a hunch, she touched his forearm, where his dream phantom had wounded him, and he cried out in pain.

"What'd you pinch me for?" he demanded, his eyes filling with hurt anger.

"I didn't pinch you." she said slowly. "Let me see your arm."

Hoggle took a step back, thinking that she really had pinched him, hard, and wondering what had come over her. "Why'd you do that to me?" He looked like a puppy that had just been kicked for no reason. Sarah felt an almost physical pain at the fact that this look was directed at her. 

"Hoggle, please. I really didn't pinch you. I swear. Touch your arm, and see for yourself."

Hoggle shifted from one foot to the other, and did what he was asked. He gagged, stifling a curse. Looking up at Sarah with renewed trust, he walked forward and extended his arm. "Sorry…I thought…"

"I know. Hold on…" She carefully unwound the bandage, and both she and Hoggle set eyes on just about the worst looking infection they had ever seen. Hoggle began to gasp, and his eyes rolled back as he fell forward on Sarah's shoulder in a faint. Sarah held him there, not wanting to lay him out in the snow, and racked her brain for some idea of what to do. Presently, Hoggle came to, shaking in reaction to his faint. 

"You'll be okay." Sarah told him, "I'll help you. You'll be fine."

Hoggle nodded tiredly, and let Sarah rewrap his arm. He didn't feel fine. He was exhausted, and his head and arm hurt him terribly. Even so, there was nothing to be done. He would have to bear it until they found a place to rest. They would be coming to a town soon, and he comforted himself with the thought. Just a few more miles.

They had been walking for hours, and twilight seemed to be right on their heels. They were walking more slowly now, and Sarah had to stop once for Hoggle when his nausea finally got the better of him. 

She watched him like a hawk now, ready to catch him if he stumbled or fainted. It was a miserable afternoon. Hoggle didn't complain, but Sarah could see that he was in pain. _Jareth did this. Jareth did this!_

_Hoggle shouldn't be out walking in the snow! He should be in his own bed, sleeping this off…but he can't sleep, not in peace…_

Finally, when the sun was dipping below the western horizon, Hoggle fell to his knees and clutched his head. He whimpered quietly, rocking back and forth. "No, no more! Please…"

"Hoggle!" Sarah held his shoulders, and tried to get him to stand. "Please, get up. It's just a little further, you said so yourself. Please, Hoggle, I know it hurts, but you have to try."

The dwarf looked up at Sarah through bloodshot, streaming eyes, and quavered, "Who…who are you? I…"

Sarah carefully put her hands on his face, and asked, "Don't you know me? Hoggle…"

"I…I…I…" Hoggle seemed to be trying very hard to think, but the effort proved to be too much for him. Just before he lost consciousness, she heard him whisper, "Pop, no…"

Sarah looked wildly around, as close to panic as she ever got without actually being there. She had to get Hoggle to a place where he could rest and be warm. She wiped the tears from his face as best she could, but they had already begun to freeze. She lifted him carefully, noting that just when she was wishing she could keep him warmer her cloak closed over him of its own volition. She didn't question it. She hurried in the direction of the town. Hoggle hadn't even given it a name, and it was too late to ask him. He was out cold, and gave every indication of planning on staying that way. She couldn't run; he was too heavy. Small as he was, he was still almost two thirds her size. 

Was that a light up ahead? Yes! Yes, she could see the limits. It was getting dark, so just about every house was lit like a Christmas tree. The closest light came from a lantern, which was held in the hand of what Sarah took at first to be a human. As she drew closer, she saw that she was mistaken. The creature was huge; though it was only about six and a half feet tall, it was broad and muscular. It had a shaggy coat, and two horns on its head.

"Ludo!" Sarah cried joyously, but as she drew closer she saw that she was wrong again. He was the same type of creature as Ludo, but his fur was blond. He tilted his head in confusion.

"No Ludo…Jarjuk." He corrected her gently.

"I'm sorry. I mistook you for a friend of mine. He looks a lot like you."

The monster frowned, and stepped back. "You not friend?"

"Oh, no, I didn't mean that. I'm a friend, and my name's Sarah. But my friend Hoggle is very sick, and I need to get him warm. Please, can you help us?"

The creature seemed slightly confused, but accepted her friendship. "Who Hoggle? Friend…sick?" Jarjuk asked, approaching Sarah, who let him look at the dwarf. Jarjuck's fearsome features crinkled with sympathy, and he beckoned for Sarah to follow him.

"You'll be okay, Hoggle." Sarah whispered as she followed Jarjuk into the small town, and a different monster with blue fur took his place. On passing that other monster, Jarjuk rubbed up against its arm and purred greeting. The blue-furred monster responded with a higher-pitched purr of its own, and sat down with the lantern.

"Who was that?" asked Sarah quietly.

"Mina…Jarjuk love." He replied shyly.

"Oh, she's your wife? Or mate?"

"Mother…Jarjuk's son." He proudly stated as he smiled back at his female. So, that probably meant that she was his mate, not his wife. Not that it mattered to him; she was his love.

"Oh, that's nice." She said sincerely, though somewhat distractedly. Where were they going?

She got her answer as Jarjuk opened the door to a large dwelling that was more like a barn than a house. "Come." He purred, and she soon saw why he was being so quiet. Reclining on a pile of straw was a smallish bundle of blue-green fur that looked like a miniature version of his parents. This, she thought, must be Jarjuk's son.

Soon she saw that this wasn't just Jarjuk's house. This was an inn of sorts, save for the fact that Jarjuk didn't ask for payment. 

"In…here." The monster told Sarah, opening one of the doors. Sarah edged her way past him, and laid Hoggle down on the mattress that was little more than a blanket on a haystack.

"Thank you, Jarjuk. I…I don't know what to do." She wrapped her cloak about him, and removed his skull cap and boots. His white hair, free of its bonds, stuck up every which way, making him look vaguely like a turnip. "Some bad cuts on his arm got infected, and now he has a fever, and…" she broke off, not trusting her own voice. "I'm sorry. I'm just rambling, I don't mean to be rude. You've been very kind, thank you."

Jarjuk shook his head. "No sorry. Friend…sick. You scared. Jarjuk help." He left a puzzled Sarah, and came back after a time with something in his hand. "Good med'cine. Good…stop fever. Give when wake. Want food…call."

"Thank you." she said again, and she was left alone with Hoggle. She looked at what Jarjuk had given her. It was a small vial of some sort of greenish liquid, and the cork was stuck in place with wax. "Wish me luck getting him to drink it." She said aloud to no one. She looked down at Hoggle, who was still flushed with fever and shivering with cold sweat.

Later that night, Jarjuk's mate Mina brought up some bread and ham for Sarah and a nice chicken broth for Hoggle. "Thank you, Mina." She said as the female monster sat down nearby to nurse her baby, who had been hanging out of sight on his mother's back. Sarah ate her food, mostly out of politeness, but she had no appetite for it. Hoggle half-awakened long enough to take some of the broth, but he still didn't seem to recognize Sarah. He slept again, and Sarah could see his nightmares hanging over him like a shroud. She shooed them away when they came, but then they merely tormented him from within. The second time he opened his eyes, Sarah gave him the medicine, which he took without objection before going back to sleep. Sometimes he would yell out in fear, and sometimes he would cry while Sarah held him like a child until the storms passed. Eventually, however, he fell into a deep and tranquil sleep. The medicine was working, and the nightmares, amplified by the fever, finally left him alone.

Mina stretched languidly, and murmured, "You sleep…too. Get sick like friend…if no sleep."

Sarah smiled gratefully, and accepted the female monster's compassionate hug. "I will. Thank you, Mina. Thank you so much."

Mina tousled Sarah's hair gently, and left them in peace. Sarah curled up on a nearby pile of straw, and closed her eyes. _You had no right to do this, Jareth. You could have killed him. _

Hours later, when it was almost six in the morning, Hoggle sat up quickly with a small shout. Sarah was jolted awake, and saw Hoggle sitting with his head in his hands and panting like he had been running. "Hoggle!" She knelt down beside him, and put her hands on his back and left shoulder. He looked up, and she saw that his eyes were clear again. He was actually seeing _her, _not just the strange visions that had blotted her out. The delirium had passed, and he was almost himself again.

"I…it was just a…a dream." He whispered, sounding dazed. "I dreamed it all." He leaned into Sarah's hug, and shivered.

"What, Hoggle?" she asked gently, "What did you dream?"

He shook his head, and tears spilled over his lower eyelids. "I can't. I don' even knows…" his chest hitched twice, and he put his head in his hands, weeping quietly. 

"Shh…" Sarah stroked his white hair as she bit down on her own fear. _Her_ fear could wait. "Hush, now. You don't have to say. Just hush…"

"No, it's…I don't…I…It wasn't just—a nightmare, it—it might have happened, an' I don' even know…I can't remember…" he gulped.

"Then don't try. Not yet. Wait till you can stand it. No use tormenting yourself over a dream." She hated how stupid her words sounded to her own ears, and how they must sound to his. If he had blotted out something that had happened long before, then it wasn't just a dream. Any fool could see that!

Hoggle didn't contradict her, though. He simply kept his face hidden against her shoulder until he felt a little braver, and then he sat back, jamming his palms into his eyes. "Been seein' some pretty weird things…How'd I get here? I don't remember…"

"I'm not surprised; you've been so sick, Hoggle. You passed out, but we were close to this place by then. I thought I saw Ludo, but it was someone else like him. Jarjuk. This is his home, and he gave me something for your fever." She touched his forehead, which was still way too warm, but less so. "Seems to have worked."

Hoggle shook his head, looking disturbed. "I don' remember a thing. I just remember leavin' the castle with a headache, then…" he shook his head again.

"You really gave me a scare, though. You looked right at me, and you didn't know me." 

The dwarf frowned in denial. "I'd never forget my first friend, Sarah."

"But you did. Your fever was pretty high. If I had a thermometer I could say how high, but my guess would be about 105 degrees. I'm glad you're okay now, though…you are okay, aren't you?" she felt his forehead again, and he nodded dubiously. He was lying, and she knew it. _It's that dream you had, isn't it?_ She thought. He was still afraid. The dream was still fresh in his mind, and whatever it had been must have been horrible; he was still crying on and off, but silently. Seeing how hard he was trying to hide it from her, Sarah chose not to call attention to it. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

Hoggle shook his head slowly. "I can't." After an hour had passed in silence, he asked, "Sarah?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Why…why did you want to be my friend? I…I wasn't too nice to you in the beginning, and…Why?"

Sarah thought for a moment before responding. "Well…I guess it seemed that we both needed a friend. I didn't know what to make of you at first…you seemed so angry all the time. I don't know…sometimes, just for a minute, I could see past the front you put up, and that's the person I wanted to be friends with. And I saw how mean Jareth was to you, and I knew you didn't deserve that. I…I also heard what you said just after you gave me the drugged peach, 'damn you, Jareth, and damn me too.' I know you don't like me bringing that up, and I know how stupid it sounds, but thinking back…I know how much it hurt you to do that, and that's why I forgave you. That's why I wanted to be your friend."

"I wouldn't!" he said tearfully, turning away.

"Oh, Hoggle, no! I didn't mean it that way. It's over, forgotten." She tried to put her hands on his shoulders, but he shied away.

"N—not by me…How can you be friends with me after that! I b—betrayed you, damn me! I—I" he let Sarah gather him close, and sobbed. "Damn—me, d—damn…uh—ahuh…ohh…" His fever was climbing again. _That's why he's doing this…_

"Shhh…please, Hoggle, you're sick. Don't cry, you'll only make yourself sicker. I already forgave you, you don't need to cry. Shh…" 

Even if it was his fever talking, she had thought he was over this. She knew that he had cried after giving her the peach; she had read the book again about a week after her first adventure, and she had seen the line drawing among the other changes in the story. She never knew that he still thought about it with such pain. Hearing him cry now was enough to break even Jareth's heart, or at least soften it.

"Oh, Sarah, I'm s—so sorry! I…"

"No, Hoggle, no. It's all right. You're forgiven, it's over. I forgave you. Forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault, none of it. Please…"

"Pop was r—right…I'm nuthin', I'm…I'll never b—be any—thin' but a c—coward! Such a cow—ard!"

"Don't say that! Stop it, you're not a coward. Didn't you jump on that big robot, and disable it? Didn't you save our lives that day? Didn't you save my life? A coward couldn't do that. I don't know much about your father, but he was wrong. He should have been proud of his son, instead of berating him." She rocked him as he burst into fresh waves of sorrow, the sobs seemingly torn raw and bleeding from the depths of his chest. This wasn't just about the peach. That was part of it, but it also concerned his father. His brain was like a stew pot; stir it up a little and add some heat, and things began to surface and appear, only to be replaced by other things; everything was random, yet everything had purpose. His fever was that heat, and it worried Sarah greatly.

The door opened silently, and Jarjuk appeared briefly with a fresh vial of medicine clasped in his fist. The monster put a finger to his lips, and set the vial on a small table near the door. Hoggle hadn't seen or heard him, and he tiptoed out of the room and shut the door again without a sound. If she hadn't been so occupied, Sarah would have marveled that such a big creature could be so quiet.

"It hurts—hurts so bad…" Hoggle whispered, his voice muffled by Sarah's shoulder.

"What hurts? Tell me what hurts, Hoggle." Sarah whispered back soothingly.

"What he did, he…"

"What?"

Hoggle was quiet for a moment, and when the answer came it was as if it was coming from the mouth of a frightened little boy. "I…I don' knows, but…I think he killed…he killed Mama."

Sarah's stomach turned into a block of ice as she continued to rock the sobbing dwarf. "Oh, Hoggle, that's…that's terrible." She said in a ghost of a whisper.

"He—he might not have…I told ya, I don't remem—ber…"

"Shhh…"

Sarah noticed something unexpected; her cheek had been resting on top of Hoggle's head, and when she lifted her head a few of his hairs stuck to her cheek, plastered there by her own tears. She was crying too. Unobtrusively, she wiped the tears away. It wouldn't do to let him see them. They would upset him again if he saw them after he had calmed down, and they would just make it worse if he saw them before. 

If his fever was ever going to break, he needed that medicine. Sarah didn't want to leave him there like he was, but if he didn't calm down soon she would have no choice. Besides which, she was afraid he would cry too hard and make himself vomit. He was ill already, and this wasn't helping.

Sarah was soon relieved, though. Not long after she'd had that thought, he began to get quiet. By that time, her shoulder was soaked. Hoggle hugged himself, and shivered. "S'cold." 

"Here." Sarah wrapped her cloak around him again, and gave him the blanket from her haystack.

"No, that's…"

"It's okay, I'm done with it. Can't sleep anymore."

He stopped protesting, and closed his eyes.

"Don't sleep yet, I have to give you something for that fever." She brought him the vial, and broke the seal. He peered up at her drowsily, and held out a hand for the vial. He drank it, grimacing slightly, and gave the vial back to Sarah.

She watched him get settled, and carefully put the cork back into the vial. Hoggle was watching her, his cheeks bright scarlet with fever. "I'm sorry I cried." he whispered finally.

"No." Sarah murmured, wiping away the fresh tears that had escaped his eyes. "No shame in crying if there's good reason. Just sleep, for now."

He obeyed her gentle command almost before she had finished giving it. His breath hitched occasionally, a remnant of his outburst, but he slept soundly. 

Sarah had never seen anyone this sick before. She was glad Jarjuk had known what to do, because she hadn't. Hoggle might very well have died of that infection if she had not found Jarjuk. As she saw the fever fading from his face, she knew he would recover.

The sun was coming up, and in the morning light Sarah could see the dwarf's face taking on a more healthful color, neither the flush of fever, nor the pallor of death. 

Sarah heard the door open, and Jarjuk walked in with a bowl of cornmeal mush and a bowl of broth. "Morning food." He purred, setting them down near Sarah. He sat on his haunches, and looked down at the dwarf with concern. "Friend cry…sad?"

Sarah nodded, "Yes. He had a bad dream. It scared him and made him sad."

Jarjuk purred sympathetically, "Son dream, too. Son…cry. Dreams…bad, try hurt son."

"Last night?" Sarah whispered.

Jarjuk shook his head. "Every."

"Oh…" Sarah put her hand on Hoggle's forehead. The fever was beginning to break again. Whatever that medicine was, it worked fast. "Thank you for helping us last night. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't. He could have…He's my best friend, Jarjuk. If he died…" she bit her lip, not wanting to say it would all be her fault.

"No die…_live_. You…believe." He told her, confidently. "Good med'cine. Stop…fever, heal cut. Stop…baby pain…" he broke off, embarrassed that he had come to that topic. He looked away, and Sarah could see the blush creeping up his cheeks.

"I believe, Jarjuk. Thank you. Thank you for saving my friend." She smiled through her tears.

"Eat. Nice…hot." Jarjuk nodded at the bowl. Sarah ate, and it was good. She had not realized that she was hungry. She finished rather too quickly, but Jarjuk didn't seem to notice. He was watching a spider that was spinning its web in a corner of the room.

"Thank you. That was good." Sarah looked for a place to put the bowl, but Jarjuk took it off her hands. He also took the broth.

"Bring…later. Get cold." He explained.

Sarah watched him go, and turned her gaze back to Hoggle. He was still sleeping soundly, the worry lines in his brow less defined than they had been minutes ago. Sarah noticed that his arm, which had been swollen to nearly twice its size, was almost back to its normal size; it had only taken hours! 

He had stopped shivering, but every now and then a few tears would run their trails from his sleeping eyes to pool in his ears. He was probably dreaming again. She reached out to brush them away, but let her hand drop when she realized that he might wake up. It was enough that she was in the room with him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let himself sleep.

Instead, Sarah walked over to the window, and looked out. How innocent the town looked under a fresh blanket of snow.


	10. Tears of a Dwarf; Friends Reunited

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 10

Peter and Dinah solemnly closed the book, and Dinah shook her head sadly. "I misjudged him…badly."

Peter nodded. "Poor guy…Can you imagine watching your own father murder your mother?" he said almost under his breath, squinting his eyes incredulously. "Even if it _is_ just a dream."

Dinah opened the book again, shaking her head as she took in the scene once more. Sarah was on her knees, her arms around Hoggle, whose face was contorted in anguish. The dwarf's teeth were bared and clenched as he struggled against a harsh tide of helpless tears. 

The drawings now came with short passages underneath or next to them; that was how they knew what Hoggle had told Sarah. They felt guilty at having witnessed something so personal and devastating, but there was nothing in the world that could make them forget. Peter could imagine Jareth saying 'Privacy be damned.' It wasn't right. This man was trying to help his daughter, and if he had to go through something so painful, he at least deserved to go through it in private with his comforter. Still, Peter marveled; he hadn't known that Sarah could be so tenderhearted with anyone but Toby…She was soothing Hoggle like she would a crying child, only without the patronizing aspect of it. 

Dinah found her husband's hand, and squeezed it tightly.

They could only read one chapter a day, and then only at the end of the day; the end of the day, when everything had already come to pass. Peter had at least four raised welts on his hands from trying to turn beyond their daily quota. 

Jareth had visited them once more, and had gone into further detail about Sarah's 'mission', and why she had to go without any guidance…save for one sick dwarf. Peter was about ready to throttle Jareth, and he would have done it if Dinah hadn't asked a question and got an unexpected answer. Dinah, the ever-perceptive one of the husband/wife duo, had cocked her head to one side, narrowed her eyes, and said, "But this isn't just about your 'stolen' magic, is it? Why are you so…so obsessed with taking our daughter away from us?"

Jareth had shifted his stance briefly, and slowly stated, "Well, that's rather a delicate question, you see…I don't exactly want to take her _away_, but I…I want her with me."

"Why?" Dinah had pressed.

"Because…because I love her." He had admitted with a 'now are you satisfied' kind of look. His cheeks had even turned a slight, almost undetectable shade of coral-pink. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Dinah had expected this. Even so, it came as a shock. The man who had threatened to kill Sarah had actually said he _loved _her. He also seemed deeply unhappy with the way Sarah was progressing; everything bad that had happened had originated with him, and he was sure that Sarah hated him. "All right? I said it. I love her. And she hates me." He continued angrily, spinning on his heel, and pacing their living room. 

_Serves you right._ Peter had thought with a barely concealed grin of satisfaction.

"She loves him." Dinah murmured, jolting Peter back to the present.

"Who? _Jareth?_"

"No. The dwarf; Hoggle."

Peter smirked. "Don't you think he's a bit old for her?"

"Oh, I don't mean _that _way. You're being a donkey's rear end! I mean, he's a very dear friend to her. She feels she needs to protect him. Can't you see? They get along like me and my cousin, Tommy used to. They're buddies. Didn't you ever have a friend like that?"

"Umm…well, yeah, back in high school. Her name was Ginny, and she was like one of the guys. Heh, she could belch the alphabet in one go! Without any bee—uh, soda."

"_Charming._ Did she fart, too?"

"_Dinah!_" Peter hooted, slapping his knee. "You're blunt as a spoon!"

"Well, never mind. Anyway, my point is that they've shared a lot, and they need each other's support. And Hoggle needed comforting. I just…I feel just awful about the way I thought about him. He must have thought I was made of ice." She sighed, rubbing her forehead with her thumb and forefinger.

"Ah, don't worry about it. You can make it up to him when you see him again. It's Christmas soon…maybe we can invite him over."

"We don't even know if he celebrates Christmas!" Dinah pointed out, glancing sidelong at her husband.

"Well, we can still have him over. Aside from the religious aspect, there's the togetherness and the celebration…"

"If he has anything to celebrate…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, well…we'll give him something to celebrate."

"That night, when Sarah found him outside…I came down to…to yell at her for almost losing Toby, and he was…he was crying. It was so…so _plaintive_ sounding. I never expected to see that. I don't know what I expected, but that wasn't it."

"…I know. I heard it too. That's why we should give him something to celebrate. He…he doesn't have anyone. He seems like a good man."

"Yes. Well, we'll invite him, then. I owe him an apology, anyway."

***

Sarah awakened from a nap she had not intended to take, and quickly looked over at Hoggle. It was mid-afternoon, but since it was winter, it was noticeably dimmer outside than it had been. Hoggle was sitting back on the hay with one knee up, his left wrist draped over it, and his eyes trained onto the far wall. To his left was a clay bowl with a tiny puddle of broth at the bottom. At least he had taken some nourishment. His cheeks were flushed, but he looked better than he had…except for one thing. His face was devoid of all expression.

"Hoggle?" she called in an undertone. He didn't even blink. "Hoggle." She said a bit louder, and he looked over at her…and through her.

"H'lo, Sarah." He said apathetically. She frowned gently, and went over to sit next to him. He let her check on his fever, but he said nothing. 

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Uhh…about three."

"You've met Jarjuk?"

"No, I met Mina."

Sarah picked hay out of her hair, and drummed her fingers on the wooden boards of the floor. Somewhere outside of the room, she heard an alto voice cooing and babbling, and smiled slightly. That baby monster was cute. She wondered what his name was…

"Haaauu…" Hoggle sighed suddenly, shaking his head.

"Hoggle?" Sarah glanced over nervously. "What is it?" Oh, she knew. Boy did she know! But this sudden apathy had frightened her more than she liked to admit. Maybe if he got it out of his system, he would be all right…

Hoggle barely heard her. _I couldn't save her…I was just a boy…_

***

__

He didn't remember much. He had tried so hard to forget, but he couldn't keep bits and pieces from surfacing, looming behind his clouded eyes; his dream had seen to that…

Apple cider…Mother's perfume…Daddy's sour, whiskey-soaked breath…funeral flowers…

A sweet little dwarven boy stared up at his mother as she tucked him in for the night. He had the wide, blue eyes of a cherub; a small, round, nut-brown face that puckered slightly when something new flamed his curiosity; the biggish nose that was shared by all members of his race, though it was more pronounced in the men…

He looked up at his mother, and smiled with innocent love at the still-pretty dwarven woman. "There ya go, snug as a bug in a rug. There…" she stroked back his unruly brown hair, and smiled. "You has a birthday coming up, Hoggle. How old will ya be? Canya show Mama?"

The little boy shyly held up five fingers.

"That's right! Can you count fer me?" she praised.

Hoggle screwed up his tiny face, and solemnly ticked off on his small fingers, "Ooone, twooo, threee, fooour, fiive."

"Good boy, oh yer getting so smart! Do you know whatcha want to have?"

The child nodded…but remained silent.

"Well, arentcha gonna tell me?"

Hoggle shook his head and grinned, the space where his two front teeth had fallen out showing plainly in the lamplight. 

"No?" she gave a short, musical laugh. "Well, then, don't worry. I'll find out. Give yer Mummy a kiss?"

The boy nodded, and gave his mother a sloppy peck on the cheek.

"Night, sugarpop." She kissed his forehead, turned down the lamp, and left the room. Hoggle rolled over on his side, and frowned suddenly…where was Daddy?

Late that night, his eyes popped open as a crash was heard from downstairs. "Mama?" he squeaked timidly, curling up into a tight little ball.

Muffled voices from downstairs… "Woman!!" Shouting, and the sound of glass breaking. Pounding footsteps coming up the stairs, and light tapping steps coming to meet them…

"Please, Molger, Hoggle's sleeping. You'll wake.."

"Shut up!"

Shouting was heard, and the sound of a fist connecting with a jawbone…Hoggle buried his head in his pillow, and whimpered. He could hear his mother crying, but then it broke off suddenly. A rumble and a thump were heard, and then…silence.

"M—Mommy…?"

"Lita? Lita! You answer me, ya hear?! I ain't playin'! Gerrup, damn you!"

Hoggle peeped out from under his little pillow, and held his breath. He heard his father slowly descending the staircase, heard him mumbling, and then, oh most terrible! His father set up a wail that made his bed frame vibrate.

"Lita, no! I din't mean ta! Op'n yer eyes! Look at me-e-e!" 

Hoggle could hear his father wailing and sobbing like a child, and tip-toed out of his bed to investigate, not even putting on his slippers. He reached the top of the steps, and saw his father cradling his mother in his lap.

"I din't mean…I din't know…"

"D—Daddy?"

The dwarf looked up at his son with glazed, drunken eyes, and sneered. "Git outta here, ya brat! Can't ya see yer Mama's sick? Go on, git!"

Hoggle stumbled back with a sob, and ran into his room, diving underneath the covers. His father didn't even remember what he had done the next morning. He told Hoggle that his mother had tripped, and fallen. Hoggle didn't argue. In fact, in the weeks that followed, he had convinced himself that that was what had truly happened…

***

"Hoggle?"

Hoggle jumped as Sarah's voice filtered into his seething brain, and he looked up at her with eyes like open wounds. "I couldn't save her, Sarah." He said quietly. "I was only four goin' on five, and I couldn't do anythin' to help. Even if I could have, I was too afraid…"

Sarah couldn't think of anything to say. She shook her head slowly, and opened her mouth without a sound. Hoggle looked down at his hands.

"I heard him do it. I didn't see him, but I heard him. I think it was an accident, but…" he shrugged helplessly as his stoic mask crumbled. He continued to stare down at his trembling hands, which were receiving a steady drip-drip-drip from his red eyes. "I thinks he pushed her…she fell down the steps…they said her neck was broke…(hic)…"

"I'm sorry…"

"That's when I stopped callin' him 'Daddy'…That's why I never had any friends before you…I didn't want 'em. 'Cause, if I couldn't trust my own Da…_Father_…who could I trust?"

Sarah caught a teardrop, and held it on her fingertip between them like an icon. "Me, Hoggle," she murmured, "You can trust _me_."

He moved hesitantly forward and put his arms around her neck, which quickly became damp. "I know…" he said in a shuddering whisper. "Yer m' best friend, Sarah…be careful on this quest o' yours…Don't leave me like my Mama did…_don't die…"_

She smiled slightly as she patted his pack. "Well, that's silly. I'm not going to die. This is just a learning quest, and as soon as it's over I'll fix everything. Besides, I don't think Himself would let me die…not after all the trouble he went through to get me here. We're as safe as can be. We'll find Ludo and Sir Didymus, and we'll stop these bad dreams for good. That's what started this whole mess. Ohh…here." Sarah gently eased him away, and gave him a handkerchief…which just happened to be his. It had been cleaned with the rest of her clothes. He left his tears alone, and blew a honking note that sent the hankie fluttering like a banner. He sniffed sharply a few times, and gouged at his eyes with his fists. "There…I know the past hurts, Hoggle…It's a terrible past to carry around…but don't you think, with your friends' help, the future can be a lot better? It can be great, as good as you let it be."

Hoggle smiled slightly, and his smile was genuine. "Thanks, Sarah. I 'preciate that."

***

Night had fallen, and Hoggle was well enough to get up and take some solid food. He and Sarah sat with Jarjuk and Mina, and their son Bree. It was amazing how much little Bree resembled Toby in personality and demeanor. He was a plucky little baby with an impish grin, and he kept poor Mina on her toes. Sarah decided to give Mina a break, and taught Bree to play pat-a-cake. He couldn't say the rhyme, but he got the cadence down pat and babbled along in baby talk. Hoggle snorted in mock disdain, and shook his head.

Bree plopped himself in Sarah's lap, and looked her in the eye. He scrunched up his nose. "Ababbrrrrr!!" he babbled, vibrating his lips, and eliciting a belly laugh from Sarah.

"Aren't you a cutie-pie!" she bounced him on her knee. The baby giggled, and leaned his head on her chest. Popping his thumb into his mouth, he closed his eyes and sighed. He was just drifting off, when a knock sounded at the door.

Jarjuk and Mina shared a conspiratorial glance, and Jarjuk went to answer the summons. Sarah was busy with Bree, so she didn't see what Hoggle saw. The dwarf sat up straight, and his eyes brightened visibly. "Sarah, look."

"What?" she followed his finger, and broke into a grin. "Sir Didymus! Ludo!"

The Fox led the way, and doffed his hat. "My Lady, it is grand to see thee again!" he said warmly.

"Sarah!" Ludo lumbered forward and hugged his friend, provoking a petulant squeak from Bree. Hoggle stepped forward, albeit somewhat weakly, and clasped hands with the two strange creatures.

"Well, where did you two buggers come from?" he ribbed them good-naturedly.

"Sir Hoggle…I say, are you ill?

"Ah, long story."

"Well," Didymus scratched his nose. "This be Sir Ludo's homeland. The entire town filled to the brim with beast-men."

"Monsters." Ludo interjected, settling down to play with the baby.

"Hmm! We come in search of thee, Sir Hoggle. It is absolutely dreadful. Every night, there-"

"We knows." Hoggle cut him off, "Jareth's doing it because of what we did to help Sarah. Now she has to go on some damned wild goose chase, 'cause she got half of Jareth's powers when she left the last time."

"The cad!" Didymus cried, appalled.

It took some time to explain things with all the interruptions on the parts of their friends, but Sarah and Hoggle finally got it out.

"So, now we're staying here—at least for a few days—until Hoggle fully recovers." Sarah finished. They were silent for a moment or two

"Where…go?" Ludo asked, finally.

Hoggle flushed sheepishly, and sighed. "I dunno. I got turned around, and took Sarah and me to the wrong place."

"You were sick, Hoggle." Sarah told him.

"Wadn't that sick. Not then." He looked sullenly at the tabletop. 

"Do, let's talk about this on the morrow." Didymus sighed, "The hour groweth late.


	11. Exploring Town Monster; An Ultimatum

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 11

It had been five days since Sarah and Hoggle had literally stumbled upon Ludo's hometown, which was simply called Town Monster. The monsters had named it themselves, thinking that the obvious was best. It was much like any small town, save for the fact that the buildings were huge in order to accommodate their large inhabitants. 

Hoggle's fever had finally gone away, and his arm was beginning to heal. He was still a little weak, but Jarjuk had deemed him fit enough to leave the warmth of the house. Sarah had already had free run of the town, so on the fifth day he went with her to explore.

Poor Hoggle had never seen so many huge creatures in one place. The only monsters he called 'friend' were Ludo, Mina, and Jarjuk, and they were relatively quiet. The 'townspeople', however, were quite vocal. Every time one of them bellowed right behind him to a friend across the street, he would cringe and accidentally bump into Sarah with several embarrassed apologies. The third time that happened, Sarah asked him, "You okay? Do you want to go back?"

He shook his head, but she could see that he did. They were pretty far from Jarjuk's house, so Sarah did the next best thing. She asked him, "What kind of currency do they use here?"

"What kind of what?" Hoggle squinted in confusion.

"What do they use to pay for things?" she clarified.

"Oh…anythin' that can pass for interestin'. Why?"

"Feel like some lunch?" she asked.

Hoggle shook his head, but at that moment his stomach gave such a loud grumble of complaint that a passing monster stopped in his tracks to look, and went away snickering. Hoggle glanced down, and then up with an abashed half-smile. "Oops." he shrugged, blushing.

Sarah stifled a smile, and gave his shoulder a gentle swat with the back of her hand. "Come on." She led him to a tavern she had found the previous day, one that specialized in venison stew. Sarah knew that Hoggle had a weakness for it, and she felt that he could use a treat. She got them a table near the back, where Hoggle would be out of the usual customer traffic, and dug into her left pocket. She found a few lint-covered pennies, a nickel, three quarters, and a fifty cent piece, and after consulting with Hoggle, she decided that one of the quarters would be best. It was big and shiny enough to be interesting, and she would still have two more to use later.

Hoggle was studying the coins with the interest of a collector. "Ain't never seen coins like these before." He remarked, turning the fifty cent piece over and over.

"You want to have one?" Sarah asked.

"Mmm…nah, you needs these to buy supplies." He shook his head, reluctantly sliding the coins back across the table. Sarah pushed the fifty cent piece back across to him as she pocketed the others. 

"Here. I've got more in my other pocket."

"Thanks." Hoggle put the coin in his vest pocket, and began to tap the table leg with the toe of his boot; the monsters were still making him nervous. Sarah watched him out of the corner of her eye while the table jolted slightly every second or so, and frowned when he began to tap his fingers.

"Will you calm down?" she asked him finally. He put his hands in his lap, and crossed his ankles.

"Sorry." he turned beet red, and chewed on his lower lip.

"They really scare you this much?" she said more gently. Hoggle shook his head.

"I don't know. I'm jes' not used to seein' so _many_. I mean, I thought Ludo was huge! There's some here even bigger'n he is!"

"I don't think there's anything to worry about. I mean, if they were going to hurt us they would have done it by now."

"Uh-huh. Don' mind me. I just been on edge, lately." He shrugged, looking away.

"I know. Try to relax, hmm?" 

Hoggle nodded, and began to kick the table leg again. Sarah sighed; he probably didn't even realize that he had started doing it once more. He did stop, however, when a female monster with black fur approached them, clipboard in hand.

"Hi! What have?" she asked, holding a stylus at the ready. Hoggle looked over at Sarah; he didn't know what they had, and he found his mouth strangely dry. 

"I think we'll both have the special." She told the monster, who made a symbol on the clipboard, and motioned for another monster to bring them mugs of water. After she had left, and they had their drinks, Hoggle raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's the special?"

"Venison stew." She replied, taking a long drink; their walk had made her thirsty.

"Cor…they knows how to make that?"

"Apparently." Sarah smiled, setting her mug down so she could look at the blue book with the silver letters Jareth had given her. Hoggle's face fell when he saw it, and he began to trace the grain of the wooden table with a forefinger. 

"There's a map." Sarah said, half to herself.

"Huh?" Hoggle stopped in mid-trace. 

"Look, right here." Sarah handed him the book, and he looked at it as if it would bite him. He carefully took it from her, and forced himself to look. His heart was pounding so hard that it was making his breath waver. 

"It's a map of almost the entire Underground." Hoggle muttered, scratching the side of his face. "The Labyrinth, the Dwarven Kingdom, the Fairy Fens…oh, there's a line from Town Monster straight through the Dwarven Kingdom to the city of the fae. That red ink is fresh…see?" he held up a finger to show Sarah. There was a big red smudge on his index finger, but the ink on the pages hadn't smeared at all. It was only where it was supposed to be. "Like it was just put down. But how…"

Sarah blinked, and gave her head a shake. _I was just wondering where I was supposed to go, and…_

"**_Sarah!_**" Hoggle hissed forcefully, tapping her cheek with his palm. She opened her eyes, and found herself sprawled out on the floor. Hoggle hovered anxiously over her, at a loss for what to do. "Thank God!" He got to his feet, and brought her drink down to her. "Five minutes, I swear…" He shooed away the solicitous crowd of monsters that had gathered, and made Sarah take a drink.

"I…how long was I out?" she asked, sitting up.

"Five minutes, or I'm a rabbit. What happened? Are ya sick?"

"No…" she let Hoggle help her up, and sat back down on the bench. The monster waitress asked if she was all right, and she said yes.

"What happened?" asked Hoggle, when the monsters had gone back to their own business. "I never seen you look like that." 

"I…I don't know. I was wondering where I was supposed to go next, and…next thing you know the book's in my hands, and you're pointing out a line that—I swear to you—wasn't there when I handed it to you. Then, I just got tired and…" she shrugged.

"You think…you think _you _put that there?" Hoggle asked.

"I don't know. I just felt like something was leaving me, and…" she broke off, as if remembering something. _The cape closed over you when I wished for you to be warm…Jarjuk came when I was worried about your fever…you finally stopped crying when I was afraid you'd make yourself throw up…did I really do it? How could I do it without knowing…_ She shook her head. "I don't know."

Their food came, and they ate in silence. Sarah, who had never tasted venison before, found it to her liking. It was stronger than beef, but far leaner. She could see why Hoggle liked it. She glanced up, and did a double-take. She had just caught Hoggle watching her carefully, as if he expected her to keel over again. "Do I have a spot on my nose?" she asked.

"No. You sure yer all right?"

"Yes. I'm fine, don't worry. I just got dizzy, that's all."

"It was more than that, Sarah." Hoggle said seriously. "I think yer learnin' how to use yer magic, and you just used too much at one time. Maybe, if you're a beginner, you can't use it too much."

"But how can I be doing magic if I don't know it at the time?" she spread her hands incredulously.

Hoggle just shook his head, and went back to his meal.

"How's the stew, Hoggle?" she asked finally.

"Best I've had in a dog's age. What do you think?"

She shrugged, and nodded. "I've never had it before, so I'm no authority. I can see why you like it, though. It's pretty good."

"Heh, yeah." Hoggle smiled. "They may be big old buggers, but they can cook, I'll give em' that." 

They finished their meals, and Sarah left the quarter on the table before going out. Sarah paused a moment to get her bearings, but before she could decide where to go next, Hoggle asked, "You think we can go back now? It's gettin' dark."

She knew what he meant. He didn't want to be caught outside when the monsters began to dream. They had seen many an ethereal specter roaming the streets at night, and already the adult monsters were heading indoors. Monster children would be sleeping soon, and sometimes children had the worst nightmares of all. 

They hitched a ride on the back of a lumber wagon, and it had already been snowing for twenty minutes before they knocked on Jarjuk's door. The monster ushered them in, and pushed warm mugs of broth into their numb hands.

"Fah…" Hoggle shook his head to dislodge the snow that had collected behind his ears. "Cold out there."

Didymus, who was stretched out by the fire and using Ambrosious as a pillow, breathed a contented sigh. "Aye, 'tis so. Just listen to that wind!"

Little Bree stirred sleepily, opened one eye, and caught sight of Sarah. He began to wriggle excitedly, and hold out his arms for his new friend. 

"Hey, sweetie." Sarah picked him up. "Did you have a nice nap? You did! Isn't that nice!"

"Oh please, Sarah, you'll give 'im cavities!" Hoggle groaned, sitting next to Didymus by the fire. The door opened once more and Ludo came in, looking uncommonly like the abominable snowman. Sarah reflected that he really did look like a yeti. 

"Hey, Ludo." She said, putting Bree down. "Where've you been?"

"Hrrmmm. See. See bad." He mumbled, shuffling over to talk to Jarjuk in the harsh grunts and groans of the monster language. Sarah shared a puzzled three-way glance with Hoggle and Didymus. Ludo had barely stopped to acknowledge them. Ludo and Jarjuk conversed anxiously, with several agitated hand gestures as Ludo told him what he had seen. At one point, Mina scooped up her baby and made a high-pitched chittering sound that brought the two males up short. She let out a stream of gorilla-like noises, and looked over at Sarah. Ludo shook his head emphatically, and Mina relaxed somewhat. Whatever she had suspected Sarah of doing had been negated, and she accepted and believed it without question.

"What's going on?" Sarah whispered to Hoggle.

"How should I know?" Hoggle whispered back, never taking his eyes off Ludo. It seemed like forever before Ludo turned to Sarah and began to speak in his broken English.

"Dreams come. Follow Ludo. No bother monsters…just Ludo. Ludo lose them…they no come. They look, but no find. Ludo hide."

"My brother! 'Tis the very same where 'ere we go. The dreams are drawn away from the dreamers if we be in sight!" piped Didymus.

Ludo shook his head firmly. "Not same. Dreams no touch. Like smoke. Dreams talk, say Sarah bad. Dreams bad! Sarah good!" he scowled heavily, clenching his fists.

Hoggle stood up, and scowled back. "They ain't like smoke, I tell ya! One of 'em cut me, an' I got the marks ta prove it."

Ludo seemed daunted, and kept insisting, "Sarah good! Sarah no bad! Sarah good."

The dwarf sighed, and waved Ludo back. "Yeah, yeah, we know. Sit down."

The monster did just that, flopping down on his backside and making the house shake. Hoggle picked himself up from the floor where he had fallen, dusted himself off, and frowned in thought. "So, what'll we do now?"

Sarah put a hand on the dwarf's shoulder as he sat down next to her, and sighed. "I don't know what to do about the dreams, but I do know that I should leave tomorrow. The sooner I get to the bottom of this, the better off we'll all be."

"You mean, the sooner _we_ get to the bottom of this." Hoggle corrected her.

"About that…maybe you should stay here."

Hoggle shook his head decisively. "Forget it. You're not goin' without me."

"You're just getting over being sick, Hoggle. You want a relapse?"

"No, but you don't know the Underground. And, you'll be passing through _my _hometown sooner or later. They don't like strangers."

"As I recall, neither did you." she pointed out as Ludo and Didymus watched the exchange.

"That was diff'rent, and you know it." He said, bringing her up short as effectively as if he had slapped her. Try as she might, she couldn't find a good argument. Finally, she nodded.

Didymus cleared his throat politely, and they both jumped; they had forgotten that Didymus and Ludo were still standing there. "Surely, thou hast not forgotten about us, sweet lady. We, too, shall accompany thee. If Sir Hoggle should take ill once more, we will be there to help. Besides which, a virgin maid, all alone on the roads where the highwaymen dwell…think of it. It's not _nice_." He pointed out, not at all aware of Sarah's or Hoggle's embarrassment. 

"Did you have to say 'virgin'?" Sarah muttered under her breath.

"My lady?" the fox tilted his head to hear better.

"Never mind." She sighed, sipping her broth. 

"Hast thou a map?" inquired Didymus. Sarah showed him the book, and he nodded. "'Tis sound. As accurate a map as you could want. Shall we travel the route marked in red?"

"Unless you have a better way to get there." Sarah replied, not at all sure she wanted to trust the map.

"I wish _I _did." Muttered Hoggle.

"Why?" asked Didymus, cocking his head. 

Hoggle squirmed in his seat, and shrugged, "Well, we'll be passin' right through the Dwarven Kingdom. I—never mind." 

"Nay, speak." Didymus prodded.

"I said never mind!" 

"We could go around it." Sarah suggested, hoping to avoid a fight.

"_It's too late for such foolishness._" Came Jareth's voice. Mina held her little Bree so tightly that he gave a hoarse squawk of discomfort.

"_You will go on the route you've marked for yourself, do you hear me?_" his voice increased in volume and intensity, and the fear in it made Sarah shiver. "_There's trouble, do you hear? I've lost control of the dreams, Sarah. When I took their substance away, I realized that they were conscious. They are _alive_, Sarah. And they are very angry. I can't stop them, I simply cannot! You must…_" and just like that, the words stopped coming.

"Goblin…king…" Mina whispered.

***

"You must go to the…" Jareth sighed. _She can't hear me. Either she's blocking me out, or I'm just losing it._

Jareth sat down on his bed, and turned a cardboard box over in his hands to read the label. It was a type of medication from the human world, something called 'Alka Seltzer'. It was supposedly for upset stomachs, and Jareth was skeptical. If his magic wouldn't help him, and the many potions he had reserved in his bedroom did little more than coat his tongue for an hour, he doubted that the humans could come up with something better. Still…

Jareth opened the box, and removed one of the foil packets. "A glass of water…" he poured himself some water from the pitcher by his bed, and cautiously dropped the white tablets into the glass. "Well, it bubbles like a potion does…I wonder…" he shrugged, and tipped the frothing drink down his throat. It was worse than drinking battery acid. He dumped the rest of the mixture into the pitcher, and stretched out on his bed.

_It's all wrong…oh, my Sarah, you are not meant to hate me so. You asked for me to take your brother away, I know, but I wouldn't have kept him. I knew that when you faced me for the last time. I would have given him back if you had just accepted me, just as I gave him back when you did not. I just wanted _you!_ Why do I care for you so much, my Sarah? What is it about you that makes me want to throw myself from the parapets when you show me hatred? You loved me once, I know. You wouldn't have called on me else…No, you just loved _the idea_ of me. You thought I wasn't real. You wished Toby away because you thought it was safe to do so…because you thought I didn't exist. I was a fool! I don't like Hoggle, but…now I'm not sure I really wanted him dead in the first place. I…_

Jareth had a sudden revelation, one that shook the very foundations of his being.

_I was jealous of that damned dwarf! I wanted your love, not he. He got your friendship, and I couldn't even have that! No, he doesn't have your _heart,_ but he has something that I cannot! Because of what I have done to him, I can't even be your friend. Oh, Sarah…My Sarah!_

For the first time since he was a tiny fae boy, the Goblin King burst into tears.


	12. Hoggle's Hometown; Heartless Wraith

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 12

_How did I lose control so quickly?_

Jareth massaged his arms as the tears dried on his face, the salt in them making his cheeks feel stiff. He tried to conjure a crystal, but it just blew away in a puff of black smoke, laughing at his weakness. _Weakness…_From the first day he had brought Sarah back to the Labyrinth, he had felt like he was being drained of his very blood. It was so subtle at first, but no longer. 

The dreams had gotten away from him. In the beginning, he had been able to just sit back and let them happen. What the people under his spell would dream about depended entirely on them. Then, when he gave them substance so that they could do some damage, it had been necessary to be more attentive. He didn't want them to do _too_ much damage; not until it was time. What he hadn't known was that with substance came _life_. While Sarah possessed half of his power, he could not control their every movement. They were just too powerful for him to manage, and he had essentially created a 'monster'. 

When Jareth had tried to take away their substance, the understandably fought for their lives and lost…temporarily. They still had substance, but it was as if they were made of spider silk. And, since they still had substance, they were still _alive_. While the people were awake, the dream substance would lie dormant in the ground until it was once more their time. Then they would strike again. How long would it be before they would gain back their full tangibility? Jareth could only guess. He had expended most of his energy trying to keep that from happening, but he could feel it slipping away, like a good dream that you try unsuccessfully to hold on to while on the edge of wakefulness. His power over them would not last, and he knew it. He had put his beloved in danger.

But why was his power diminishing so _quickly?_ That was what he hoped Sarah would find out in the city of the fae. He would not be able to make the trip; she was now far more powerful than he. If she chose to, she could shape-shift. He wondered what she would turn out to be…

***

"Is that everything?" Sarah asked, doing a last minute 'luggage check'. Sarah, Ludo, Hoggle and Sir Didymus were gathered near Jarjuk's front door, soaking up the last warmth from the morning cooking fire.

Hoggle smirked at her. "You asked that two minutes ago, and the answer's still the same. Yes."

"Excuse _me,_ smarty. I'm just making sure." She pulled a sour smile, feigning annoyance. 

Didymus shook his head in bemusement. Why they got so much enjoyment out of arguing with each other, he would never know. "Two berries on a branch…" he muttered to himself. 

"Say somethin' 'bout berries?" asked Hoggle, squinting one eye as he glanced sidelong at the fox. "Berry season's over."

"As you say, Sir." Didymus sighed, brushing out Ambrosious's tangled hide. The 'steed' stood stock still, briefly baring his teeth in pain when a tangle ripped loose.

Sarah stood up, and went to say good-bye to and Mina. As she drew near, she saw that little Bree's lower lip was trembling as tears started down his face. "What's the matter?" she asked gently as the door opened and closed. Her friends had already left the house, and were waiting outside.

The baby monster looked up at his mother, and launched himself into Sarah's arms. "No go! No go, no gooooo!" he wailed, crying as though his little heart would break.

"Oh honey, don't cry." She said, "You make me sad when you cry."

"Why…" he frowned, working his mouth over the difficult act of forming human words, "Why…go?"

"Because…because I have something important to do. Big people just have things they need to do, that's all. I need to stop the bad dreams from happening."

The baby sniffled, and looked up at Sarah. "Me go. Go…Sawah."

"No, sweetheart. You have something important to do, too. You have to stay here with your mommy. You don't want your mommy to be sad, do you?"

Bree shook his head.

"Of course not. Don't you think she'd be sad if you left?"

Bree nodded. He held out his arms for Mina, who cradled him tenderly to her breast. The female monster reached forward, and gently pulled Sarah's head to her shoulder. "Mina always remember…Sarah. Always welcome."

"Thank you, Mina. I'll never forget you. I hope I'll see you again someday." Sarah picked up her pack, and went to join her other friends on the 'porch'. Mina followed behind. Jarjuk was out front, talking to Ludo.

"Ready?" asked Hoggle. Sarah nodded, sniffing briskly. It surprised him how much it hurt to see the tears on her cheeks. Now he knew how she must have felt when…

He turned away. A year before, he would have laughed if someone told him that he'd actually care whether someone cried or not. As someone who had tried so hard to keep people away, Hoggle had to wonder; was this good or bad? _Do I like to care? _Sometimes it actually hurt. He didn't like to hurt; that was the very reason he had stayed alone. But Sarah would not let him. In the beginning, she had had to bribe him, to force him to help her. Where had avarice turned to friendship and compassion? It was all so new to him. He felt _love_ for this girl. He had been so confused at first, thinking, 'Am I in love with her?'. He had felt confused and frightened. He had thought about it for hours, but it always came out the same. This was not romantic love. His heart did not 'skip a beat', like in the cliché. 

Sarah was beautiful, there was no denying that; though he appreciated her beauty for what it was, Hoggle did not wish to be her love.

Hoggle had never had a sister, or a daughter for that matter, but he recognized his love for Sarah as being that sort. And, when he had realized that, he had smiled to himself. He had gone from 'no friends' to 'best friend'. It wasn't bad at all! 

As the group turned to leave, Bree gave a howl that was similar to Ludo's rock-calling howl. They turned around, and gazed in wonder at what Bree had summoned. A cloud of blue, green and yellow butterflies surrounded the small group and, especially, Sarah. 

Bree was saying good-bye.

***

__

I don' want to go there. It ain't my home no more. If I hadn't got turned around, I wouldn't have to go there…No, that's wrong. If I hadn't gone to Town Monster, I'd be…But why? Why did this have to happen now? I didn't wanna remember…

Hoggle plodded along silently between Sarah and Ludo, lost in thought. In truth, he basically felt lost altogether. The Dwarven Kingdom was pretty close to Town Monster; in fact, they would reach it before nightfall. Close as the Dwarven Kingdom was to Town Monster, the dwarves had no truck whatsoever with the monsters. They preferred to keep to their own kind, and dealt with no one but themselves and the fae, who were the true rulers of their town. It was called a kingdom simply because it sounded more important than a town.

Hoggle did not want to go there. He felt as if he had swallowed a whole hard boiled duck egg, and it had stuck in his gullet, making it hard to breathe. But he would go there. He couldn't hide anymore.

__

But what if I see my father?

The dwarf swallowed. It was entirely possible. Dwarves were a lone-lived race, and Hoggle's father had not been old when he had run away. 

__

Oh, God…

It was too late to turn back; they were now in sight of the town. Hoggle's heart was hammering; he could feel the concussion of each beat striking his backbone.

__

All right, Hoggle. You can do this. He won't recognize ya, just get a grip. Yer doin' this for Sarah. She needs you. She can't do this alone…She was there for you, now it's your turn. Why're you bein' such a kid?

"You okay?" Sarah asked quietly, sensing Hoggle's discomfort.

"Yes. Why?" he said, trying to sound casual and nonchalant.

"Just asking." She shrugged, letting it drop. "This place looks pretty big. How long do you think it'll take to get through?" 

"A day…maybe two. We'll have to spend at least one night here." Hoggle replied, kicking a small branch off the trail and out of his way. 

No one impeded their progress when they entered the town, but several dwarves stared curiously, even balefully at them as they passed by. Everyone but Didymus was supremely uncomfortable under such close scrutiny, and the whispers that reached Hoggle's ears made him get very red in the face.

"…doing, bringing strangers here?"

"Filthy monster…"

"…crazy coot needs a human wench…"

"…would ya look at _that_…"

This was mostly from the young men. The women ignored them, unless a few of the children got too close. So far, Hoggle couldn't see anyone he knew or remembered…but they might have changed somewhat. He had been gone a long time.

Sarah was glad she had had a long talk with Sir Didymus on the subject of acting out. His sense of smell was not nearly as good as he liked to believe, but his hearing was excellent. He heard every snide remark made against 'Sir' Hoggle's honor, but he restricted his actions to a piercing look, or a warning rattle of his little sword in the scabbard.

Yes, he was very well behaved…until someone threw an ice ball at Sarah, hitting her in the ear. He snarled loudly, drawing his sword with a flourish while Sarah dropped dizzily to her knees.

"Thou cowardly knave! Durst thou accost yon lady so? En garde, Sirrah!"

The culprit quickly disappeared into the crowd that had gathered to taunt the livid fox. That crowd was made up entirely of teenagers and small boys, and while Ludo stayed his 'brother's' hand an older dwarf came running to break it up.

The dwarf looked to be twice as old as Hoggle. He boxed several ears, and raged, "Shame on ya! Attackin' a stranger like that, and a woman to boot! Off with ya, or so help me, you'll feel the back of my hand!"

"Li'l bastards…" Hoggle muttered, holding a packed handful of snow to the back of Sarah's neck while she shook it off. "That kid better hope I don' find out who he is!" 

"I'm okay, Hoggle." Sarah muttered back, slowly getting to her feet.

"Ya sure?" he asked anxiously.

"Yeah." Sarah turned to the old dwarf who had intervened. "Hey, thanks."

"Ah." He waved it off, and came reluctantly forward. He nodded to Sarah, and fixed his eyes on Hoggle for a long moment. "Wait, you…Yer Molger's boy, ain't ya?"

Hoggle licked his dry lips, and gave an unhappy nod. 

The old dwarf shocked them all by spitting in Hoggle's face. "You got a lot of nerve, showin' yer face here! Who do you think you are, anyway? Ungrateful whelp! You done that man wrong, leavin' town, and leavin' him with no one ta care for him."

Hoggle slowly wiped the spittle from his face, and said, "If there was anythin' he was good at, it was takin' care of himself! I got nothin ta say to you."

"Don't ya wanna know where yer Pop is now?" the old dwarf snarled as Sarah put her hand on Hoggle's shoulder, making her loyalty clear.

"I don' care." Hoggle said sullenly.

"What else is new?" the old one snorted, turning away.

Hoggle clenched his fists, and finally called, "Where is he?"

"Huh. He won't be thinkin' of you no more."

Hoggle pondered this, his face pale as putty.

Sarah narrowed her eyes in hatred at the old one's retreating back. "That son of a bitch! How dare he?"

"Ah, let it go, Sarah. Can't be helped." Hoggle sighed. He brought them through the town, and stopped in front of a small building. He knocked on the door…no answer. He rang the pull bell, and still nothing. He wiped at the clouded window with his sleeve, and peered into the house. Turning over a rock, which turned out to be hollow, Hoggle retrieved the house key and opened the door. Ludo, who was too big to fit through the door, waited outside.

"Hello?" Hoggle called with more bravado than bravery. His voice echoed off the walls, and he noticed a black ribbon wrapped around the banister. An envelope lay open on the table, and Hoggle picked it up, and began to read. 

"Uhh…" He swallowed, and turned to Sarah and Didymus. "Well, there's no one here. This is my father's house. Make yourselves at home…he won't be back." His clipped, indifferent voice took Didymus aback, but Sarah only looked somber.

"What dost thou mean, Sir Hoggle?"

"He's dead." The dwarf snapped. "I'll be back later." He turned and left them there, shutting the door behind him.

***

Night had long since fallen, and Sarah had been searching the town for hours, looking for Hoggle. He had never returned, and the dreams were beginning to show themselves. There was no one around to question about Hoggle's whereabouts, and even if there was, they probably wouldn't talk to her. Hoggle was nowhere to be found. Sarah had just arrived at the one place she hadn't searched, and she wondered why she hadn't gone there in the first place; the cemetery.

She was able to locate Hoggle by his trail of footprints he had left in the snow. His was the only set of footprints in the cemetery, and she found him sitting in the snow with his back to a tombstone, oblivious to the cold. He wore the same apathetic mask he had worn before. He looked dazed, in shock. Her shadow fell over him, and he didn't even realize it. 

Sarah knew she was taking a chance by doing so, but she sat down beside him and tucked a fold of her cloak about his shoulders. He jolted briefly, and looked over to see who was near him. He stared mutely at her for a moment, and his face just shattered. "Oh, Sarah…" he pressed his face into her shoulder, overwhelmed by the pain. So much pain in such a short time!

"The bastard blamed it on _me_, damn it! What did I ever do to him? All I ever did was exist! Blamed me for his drinking problem! Dared to call my mother a…a…_Ohh,_ **_God!"_** he screamed, hyperventilating, his small shoulders shaking wildly. "He killed himself, Sarah! He b—blamed _me_ for his life going to h—hell! S—said I k—k—killed him as much—as he d—did!"

Sarah just wrapped her cloak more tightly around the two of them, and held him. She couldn't tell him it would be all right. She couldn't do anything to take the hurt away. It angered her that Hoggle's father had done this to his son, and that she couldn't undo it.

Hoggle, on the other hand, felt wretched about what he had confessed. Disloyalty to his father…as much as the man had done to him, the unspoken rules of the Dwarven Kingdom were clear; a son did not disobey his father. A son did not dishonor his father. The father was the head of the house, and all children, even his wife, were subordinate. It was perfectly acceptable, in other words, for a husband to beat his wife, and a father to beat his children. 'Very likely, there was a good reason' was the usual view on that subject. Hoggle had left his home and father after rebelling against him; an unpardonable sin, in dwarven eyes. Hoggle was one of the few dwarves to object to this, to leave home. 

The worst of it was that Hoggle half-believed it. His guilt had returned full force, made worse by the fact that he could no longer reconcile with his father. Had he even wanted to? He didn't know, and it no longer mattered. It was too late.

"How did it happen?" Sarah finally asked, "Do you know?"

"N—no…" 

"_I _can tell you." came a gruff voice from directly in front of them. Hoggle stiffened, gulping back sobs as he lifted his head to look. 

Cold, gray eyes glared back at them. A dwarf stood with his back against a tombstone, his arms folded. Sarah and Hoggle could see right through him to read the inscription: 

****

Molger 

Husband, Father, Model Citizen

Rest In Peace


	13. Sarah's Changing; Shiva

Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 13

Hoggle held onto Sarah as if she were life itself, making it hard for her to breathe comfortably. She huddled protectively over her friend as the strange 'dwarf' stepped forward.

"Stay where you are." Sarah told him, "What do you mean by that?"

He simply lifted his chin, and pointed to his throat. Sarah saw the noose around his neck, and shuddered. Hoggle stared open-mouthed at the ghostly figure, who glowered down at him in revulsion. 

"You pathetic sack of dirt. Look at you! Embracing a human. You disgust me. I cannot believe I actually let that _thing_ give birth to you!"

Something inside of Sarah snapped. As Hoggle's grief stricken cry tore through the night air she could feel herself changing. She wasn't sure how she was doing it, she just knew that she was. Her form shivered and grew muscular, tawny fur sprouting as her face elongated into a muzzle and her ears migrated to the top of her head. A low growl pulsed in her throat, and she could feel her sense of balance changing as she put all fours on the ground and extended her tail. She had a _tail_. She hissed, tensing her muscles to spring, but the phantasm exploded into a cloud of dirty-gray smoke and laughed at her.

"But you can't touch us, Sarah!" it said in an entirely different voice from the one it had been using. It was gone.

So was Hoggle. He had run from her in terror when she had changed into what she was. She was a cougar; a mountain lion. 

She did not know how to change back. That could wait, though; she had to find Hoggle.

"Mer_ROW! _Mrrrmmm…" _Just great. I can't talk anymore._

Where had Hoggle gone? Ah, there! She had found his scent, but she didn't even need it. She could hear him; he had been crying too hard to be breathing normally so soon, and he was almost out of his mind with fear over what he had witnessed. She bounded off into the night, circling round to head him off. They were no longer in the cemetery; Hoggle was blundering through the thickets that surrounded the churchyard. 

He tripped, fell, and got up to find himself facing Sarah in her cougar form. "N—no! Go away, lemme 'lone!" he sobbed, backing off. Sarah shook her head slowly. She purred, trying to reassure him, but she had forgotten how big she was; the purr sounded like a growl, and only served to frighten him further. She slowly moved towards him; he retreated. He tripped over a snow-covered branch, and fell with a cry. He scrambled back on his bottom and curled into a ball, whimpering, his hands over his head.

Sarah stood over him and licked his hand once with her rough tongue, the only thing she could think of to do that wouldn't be taken as aggression. When he didn't move, she gently pulled him close with a paw, and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. He finally looked up.

"You…yer still in there, ain't you? S—Sarah?"

Sarah nodded, pushing her muzzle into his hand. Wordlessly, he put his arms around her neck and cried again. She put her arms around him, and saw that she _had _arms. 

"I'll never hurt you, Hoggle. Please don't be afraid of me. Please, don't fear me."

_Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave…_Sarah shivered. How could she expect Hoggle to _not_ fear her after seeing her turn into a cougar? Moreover, how could she not be afraid of herself? Maybe that was why Jareth had told her to fear him; he couldn't understand why she did not. Hoggle was speaking now.

"M—maybe it _was_ my fault…" he wept, shaking with cold as well as with emotion.

"You're wrong. Whatever happened, he did it to himself. That wasn't even your father's ghost back there. Didn't you notice the way he talked? The accent was wrong. The careful grammar…It was just another dream. Hoggle, don't do this. Never blame yourself for someone else's choices. Just because he chose to end his life doesn't mean you had anything to do with it. He was just using you as an excuse."

"How d'you know? Ya didn't even know him!"

"I…I can't explain." She said lamely. Somehow, she _did_ know. She just couldn't say how she knew. She felt her face grow hot. "I just _know_, that's all."

He was shivering more violently now, finally aware of the fact that he was cold. _But I can't go back to that house, I just can't! I don't care! I'd rather freeze!_

Sarah mistook his shivering for fear. "I'm sorry I scared you. All I could think of was making it go away. I didn't know I was going to turn into a cougar. I don't even know how I did it, or how I changed back. It just happened."

"T—turn into a what?" 

"That big cat thing. In my world we call them cougars, or mountain lions. I gather you don't have those here?"

Hoggle shook his head.

"I wouldn't have hurt you, Hoggle. I…"

"Oh, I know that _now._ I…I just wasn't sure if y—you were still yerself. I didn't kn—know if you could still think. I thought you—I thought I was…I thought you were gonna…"

"No. If you want to know the truth, it scared me too." She told him.

"Really?" 

"Yeah. I don't know what's happening to me. I don't even know if I'm still human…but what about you? Will you be okay?" 

Hoggle didn't answer, except to shrug. Sarah could hear the rapid rat-tat-tat-tat of his teeth clicking together as he shivered. "I can't stop…" he said, trying futilely to dry his face, "I can't make it stop. It jus' keeps coming, and I—can't…"

"It's all right. Don't be embarrassed, you know I won't tell." She said, offering him some hot tea from her thermos, which he drank gratefully. She had to help him hold the little plastic cup; his hands were shaking badly. 

"When do you want to head back?" she asked him, "Ludo and Sir Didymus are worried. They're out looking for you, too."

Hoggle dropped the tea, and quickly put his hands over his face. Sarah set the thermos down nearby, a few inches into the snow so that it would stay upright, and sighed. 

"I can't go back, I just ca—can't! Don't you _understand, _I just _can't!"_

"I do understand, Hoggle, but we can't stay out here all night. Is…is there somewhere else we can go?"

"I…I don't know…" he shook his head, "I'm sorry, but…I…he—he was my _father,_ Sarah! I…sometimes I hated him, but he was still my father. I hate him f—for what he did to my m—mother, and for what he—what he did to me…So why do I f—feel so bad about 'im dyin'? Why c—can't I face being—being in that house?"

"Maybe…because he _was_ your father, and because that was where so many things have happened." Sarah suggested. Hoggle took his hands from his face and rested them on his thighs, trying to breathe more evenly. He nodded; what she had said made sense to him. Maybe, if he had to, he could spend one night there. But, oh, how it hurt!

Sarah grew tense, listening. Crunching footsteps were coming towards them in the dark. A dog barked nervously, and Sarah relaxed.

"My lady?" said a quiet voice. It was Didymus, and the fact that he was actually speaking quietly said something for his mood. "Sir Hoggle, art thou well?" he dismounted from the dog's back, and laid a brotherly hand on Hoggle's shoulder. The dwarf sniffled, shaking his head no. The fox nodded his understanding. "Ah…'twill be all right in time, Sir Hoggle. This I can tell thee from experience."

"Yeah, so…so, now what?" Hoggle asked haltingly.

"Forgive me, Sir Hoggle, but I took the liberty of finding us rooms at an inn that would have us." The fox said simply. 

"Where's Ludo?" asked Sarah, replacing the lid on her thermos and screwing on the plastic cup. 

"Awaiting our arrival. We should hurry, though."

Sarah nodded, and put an arm around Hoggle. "Come on," she said softly.Getting up was more her choice than his; his will to move had iced over numb, and he rose without thinking. He didn't want to think. He didn't want to do anything.

As they passed by the tombstones, Hoggle cringed and reached up to his shoulder to clasp Sarah's hand. "It's all right, come on." She whispered, briefly squeezing his shoulder as he gave a hoarse, shuddering sob. Didymus followed close behind them, walking slowly beside Ambrosious.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked the fox, who took the lead.

***

"Here we are." Said Didymus. He need not have mentioned it, since Ludo was standing right in front of the building. The monster would be spending the night in the stable, since he couldn't fit through any of the house doors.

The inn's door opened, and one of the strangest people Sarah had seen so far stepped out to greet them. She must have been watching from the window. She was human size, and wore a long, hooded robe of dark blue silk that brushed the tops of her black suede boots. Sarah could not see her face. The woman stepped aside for them to enter, and when they had she went to the ledger at the front desk. 

"You are Sarah?" she inquired, tilting her head to one side.

"Yes." 

"Good. Might I speak with you when your friends are settled?" she asked.

"Don't see why not." 

"Mmm…" Sarah could hear the smile in the woman's voice, but she could sense it disappearing just as quickly. She was looking at Hoggle. _There is great sorrow in this one…It is not often that one comes across a truly broken heart…_

"Sir Knight, would you show this man where to go?" the woman said courteously.

"Aye, certes. Sir Hoggle, this way."

And Sarah was alone with the cloaked woman. 

"Sarah…" the woman said, half to herself. "Come here."

"Why?" asked Sarah, suddenly apprehensive.

"I wish to look at you." the woman replied. Sarah swallowed, and came closer. The cloaked woman was a full head taller than she. Putting a finger gently under Sarah's chin, she lifted it so that their eyes were locked. Sarah gasped.

"You're a fae!"

The woman nodded, pushing back her hood. Her blue hair only grazed the nape of her neck, but it stuck up as if by electricity. One eye was hazel, the other violet; her thin cerulean brows swept up gracefully like wings, and she smiled kindly at Sarah to reassure her. "Yes. I mean you no harm, Sarah. I am not jealous of Jareth's love for you; in fact, it makes me happy."

"How do you know Jareth?" Sarah breathed, still recovering.

"I do not. I know of him, and his reputation. He is too powerful for his own good. Perhaps now, he'll learn not to abuse that power. Perhaps your coming here will show him that. Come, lets sit down."

Sarah could do nothing but obey. She let the fae woman lead her to a table, and gasped when beam of light shot from the woman's fingertip. Where the light struck the table, there appeared a teapot, two cups and saucers, and a plate of shortbread cookies.

"I am Shiva. While Jareth's magic is of the crystalline type, mine is of the Blue Light. Simply put, I only cover that one part of the spectrum. I am one of the Seven Sisters of the Spectrum. Beyond that, we have many 'invisible' brothers and sisters, and Jareth is such a one. None of us that I have mentioned are related by blood. The Crystalline power is drawn from all colors and powers, which is why Jareth is the Goblin King, and the lord of the Labyrinth. He has the rarest gift of all the fae, and so must be respected. He is alone in his power…or, rather, he was." She paused to nibble on a cookie, and to allow Sarah to ask questions, should she have any.

"If he…" Sarah frowned.

"You may ask what you wish." Shiva smiled gently, sipping her tea.

"He truly loves me? Why?"

The fae shrugged. "I do not know. Not many fae fall in love with humans. It is discouraged, mainly for the danger aspect of it. You see, when a fae falls in love with a human—or any type of person who has no magic of its own—something happens to that fae. Magic must be countered by magic, or the balance between the mates is lost. It simply cannot be. That is why half of Jareth's magic went into you. So yes, Sarah, he loves you as truly as any man ever loved a woman. Sarah…do you love him? This is very serious, you must answer."

"No." Sarah said too quickly. She closed her eyes, trying to make her stomach settle down. 

"Then…this is unfortunate." Shiva murmured, putting down her tea with a trembling hand.

"Why is that unfortunate?" Sarah stood up.

"Because your magic does not counter his if you don't love him. To compensate for this, his magic will continue to flow into you until…"

"Until what?"

"Until he has expired."

Sarah shook her head incredulously. _Expired? You make it sound like he's a gallon of milk!_

"Okay…so, why would his magic keep coming to me? I don't want it any more than he wants to lose it. Why can't he stop it? And how is it that he didn't know about this?"

"He doesn't know because it was not his place." The fae woman sighed, "While he is more powerful than the Seven Sisters, he is not party to the same knowledge. We are the peacekeepers of the fae. We try to discourage fae romances with humans. It is nothing personal, believe me; we simply wish to avoid situations such as yours. Are…are you sure you don't love…" 

Shiva stopped speaking, and Sarah sat down slowly.

"I…I really don't know how I feel about him. I can't forgive him for what he's done to Hoggle. He took Toby…I know I wished him away, but that put us on opposite sides."

"I take it that Toby is your younger…brother or cousin?"

"Brother. I wished him away, and Jareth took him."

"I see…" Shiva nodded, pouring Sarah another cup of tea. "And Hoggle? He is the dwarf you came with?"

"Yes." Sarah gave a subdued nod.

"Why were you out in the snow so late at night?" Said Shiva, not looking at Sarah. 

Sarah was silent for a long time, and Shiva only waited patiently. When she looked up, she saw tears on the girl's face. "What has happened?" she asked gently.

"I…I don't know if I can tell you." Sarah replied shakily, "Part of it…_most_ of it is for Hoggle to say, not me."

"All right. What happened to _you, _then? You can tell me that, can't you?"

"Why do you want to know?" asked Sarah.

Shiva just looked at her, her eyes clear and sane. Sarah felt herself growing calmer, more relaxed under the influence of her sanity. She sighed, and took a sip of her tea. "I changed. I saw…I saw Hoggle's dream—his _waking _dream—and I changed."

"How?"

"I turned…turned into a cougar; a gigantic cat."

Shiva nodded, smiling gently. "Yes, I know what a cougar is. We have books…How did it feel?"

"Scary…but I didn't have time to think about it. Hoggle ran away from me. I can't say I blame him. What's happening to me?"

"You are becoming a fae."

***

Sir Didymus kept his good eye on Hoggle as the dwarf sat on the edge of his bed, shivering and rocking. When the dwarf got up and leaned against the wall, he followed him with his eye and stayed silent. When Hoggle went over to the window, however, he spoke up.

"Sir Hoggle, please."

"What?" Hoggle asked.

Didymus stepped forward and tried to pull Hoggle from the window, but the dwarf shook him off.

"Lemme be, Didymus. Please, just let me be."

The fox backed off and, against his better judgement, left the room.

Hoggle reached into his vest, and drew out a knife.

***

"Can you show me how you changed?" asked Shiva.

"I don't _know_ how I changed!" cried Sarah, exasperated. 

Shiva smiled benevolently, "Yes, I think you do. Here, watch me." Standing up, she took a deep breath. The air around her stirred a bit, and in her place was a deer. A small, yet fully grown doe. A moment later, she was back in fae form. "It is very similar for every fae. I can teach you how to control it."

"What do I want with that? I just want to undo what Jareth has done."

"Not just Jareth. You are preventing him from stopping it. You must learn how to use your powers in order to do so."

Sarah swallowed. "All right…show me."

Shiva just smiled, and took Sarah's hands. "Ah, yes…you really are powerful. This should be easy for you! Now, close your eyes. Good. Now imagine that there is danger, and in order to escape it—or fight it, as the case may be—you need to be something other than yourself. No, don't clench up. How did you change when you saw your friend's dream? Try to remember."

Sarah took a deep breath, and forced herself to call to mind the hateful words the dream creature had spoken; she made herself hear Hoggle's wail of heartbroken sorrow. She felt her anger returning, and unconsciously her lip twitched back in a snarl.

"You've done it! Bravo."

Sarah opened her eyes, and grunted in confusion. _Where did all the color go? _She promptly sat down and began to wash her face. _This is nuts!_

***

Sir Didymus stopped short, and drew his sword. "Avaunt, beast!"

Sarah raised her feline head, tongue poised to lick her outstretched paw, and glowered. Her form wavered, and Sarah rose from the floor. "What's wrong?"

Didymus stammered a moment, and bowed low. "Curse me for a fool…forgive me, Lady Sarah."

"How's Hoggle?" she asked.

"He asked me to leave."

Shiva looked up at the ceiling. "I don't like that. Sarah, we should hurry."

"But…"

"Quickly!"

***

Hoggle's breath shivered as he held the point of the knife to his wrist. His hand froze, and he stared down at his hand at the plastic bracelet he had received from Sarah. He drew in a sharp breath and dropped his knife. Closing his eyes, he swallowed hard. _Leave me alone, I don't want to die. Stop movin' my hands!_ He could feel the spidery touch of the phantom; he could not escape it. His father was there in the room with him. His father…

The dwarf picked up the knife again, and set it to his vein. He stopped again. He held the knife poised, and silently willed the spirit to go away, fighting desperately.

The door flew open.

***

_Stop!_ "Mmmmrrooooow! Hssssssssh!" 

With one swipe of her paw, Sarah knocked the knife from Hoggle's hand. She could see a shimmering thing hovering over him one minute, but it was gone the next. She ignored it, and turned to Hoggle.

Hoggle lay stunned on the floor. Sarah willed herself to change back, and was mildly surprised when she did. She grabbed Hoggle's bared arm, and breathed a shuddering sigh when she saw that it was undamaged. 

Shiva stood over them, her face like chalk dust. "They're getting stronger."


	14. Hoggle's Heartbreak

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 14

_They're getting stronger…_Sarah shuddered. Shiva must have been putting it mildly; if they were strong enough to make Hoggle try to kill himself they were very strong indeed. Then again, all things considered, they would not have had to make much of an effort. 

Hoggle had his eyes closed, but he wasn't unconscious. He was shaking, his breath coming in gasps. In truth, he was afraid to open his eyes. What would Sarah do to him? What had she thought of him when she had seen the knife in his hand? _Don't look at me…_

Sarah was now looking closely at his knife hand; she had not pulled her swing when she had knocked the knife from it, and it was entirely possible that she had broken his fingers. "Hoggle? Did I hurt you? Open your eyes, Hoggle."

Hoggle reluctantly did so, and forced his eyes to meet hers. She smiled through tears that she wasn't even aware of, and repeated her question, "Did I hurt you? Are you all right?"

The dwarf sat up, shook his head, and looked away. He wasn't hurt, but he wasn't all right. He felt a stinging behind his eyes, and he knew he was going to cry. It was just a matter of time.

"Sir Hoggle, how couldst thou?" Didymus began to scold, having found his voice. Hoggle turned his head to face the fox, and shrank back. The knight stepped forward, and continued, "To attempt thine own death when we would help thee! Shame on thee. Shame on thee!"

"That's enough!" Sarah snapped, rather more nastily than she had intended; her eyes flashed briefly, looking uncommonly like those of her cougar form. 

"But…my Lady…he be my friend, also. Why would…" the fox was cut off when Hoggle burst into tears. He stared in shock and dismay as Sarah wrapped her arms around her sobbing friend, trying to lessen his shame by blocking their view. "Sir Hoggle, I…"

Shiva stepped quickly forward, and leaned down to whisper into the fox's ear. Sir Didymus nodded, and Shiva slipped something into his gloved paw as he left the room.

"B—but I didn't try—to k-kill myself…it was…it moved my h—hands, and…"

"I know, I know." Sarah whispered, patting him gently on the back as she had done before. "I saw it, Hoggle. Sir Didymus didn't, or he wouldn't have said those things to you. He didn't know."

"It was my f-f-father!" Hoggle sobbed incoherently, no longer caring who saw or heard. "It-it was my f-father! He—he t-told me…he…" 

"Shhh. Don't try to talk anymore. Just cry, if you need to. It'll be all right."

"It'll never b—be all right!" 

"Shhh. Yes it will. It will." Sarah murmured.

The wind picked up outside, slamming into the inn and rattling the shutters. Hoggle gave a small yelp, and hid his face. He was hyperventilating again, crying so hard that he actually began to dry-heave. Sarah pulled away briefly, but there was nothing in his stomach to come up. He rested his head on her lap as a wave of dizziness swept over him, silently cursing himself for being so weak. "I…tried to love—him…I'm not sup—posed to h-hate my f-father, but…I can't help—it. He—he killed her! He…oh Sarah, _why_?"

"I don't know, Hoggle." Sarah sighed shakily; she was crying with him, and she couldn't hide it.

"N—no!" Hoggle cried, horrified by what he thought he had done. "I d-didn't mean…I…"

"Hush, you didn't do anything. That's the whole point. You did nothing to deserve this! I hate to see you hurt like this!" Sarah choked, holding him tightly.

"B-but I made you c-cry!" he sobbed brokenly.

"No. No, you didn't. I…I don't know how I'm going to keep my promise. I told you I'd fix this, but…I just don't know how. I want so much to help. All I've done is hold you, and you're a grown man for God's sake! How could I presume to help you?"

Hoggle looked up at her, shoulders still heaving, and shook his head. "N-no. You did help me…more than I deserve."

"What do you mean, 'more than you deserve'?" Sarah asked. 

The dwarf shook his head, unable to speak as his sobs once more took over. Sarah glanced over at the door, and saw that Shiva was gone. The door was ajar, and Sarah could see the shadows of feet beneath it. Shiva was guarding the door. Sarah was glad not to find her standing behind them. 

"What did you mean, Hoggle?" Sarah asked more gently, touching his shuddering back.

"I…I've never been worth your…worth your effort. I'm not even—human, and I'm…I'm just a sh—short, ugly little coward. Always was. An' I betrayed you, and…and later I still tried—to…to tell you I didn't wanta be friends with you when I did, and…and you still forgave me, and…I don' understand…" 

"I forgave you because I liked you, Hoggle. I knew you had no choice. And I told you once before, I saw through you. I knew what you really meant. I don't see you as being a coward, and I don't care how you look. I mean jeez, how am I going to look when I'm your age?" she asked teasingly, hoping to make him smile.

"Like a corpse." He sniffled, "I'm one hundred and fifty-three."

"Are you…you're serious." Sarah gasped, frowning.

"We…we live a long time. In fact…I'll prob—ly outlive you!" he cried, sobbing hard into her lap. "You see? I—I lose _everyone!_ The one p-person I've ever c-c-cared about is…is dead, and I'll lose you too! It…it's not fair!" 

Sarah leaned forward so that her cheek was resting on Hoggle's head, and whispered, "You're right. It isn't fair. But that's a long way off, Hoggle. And if what Shiva says is right…" Sarah trailed off. Hoggle didn't press her to continue; he just sat up and put his head on her shoulder. For the first time in he didn't know how long, Hoggle truly let himself go and grieved freely and deeply. It was almost as if he was weeping his heart's blood, not tears. He wasn't crying out of fear or self-pity; all the 'grieving' that he had done before, though just as stormy, paled in comparison to this. He was crying for the mother that had been taken from him. He was crying for the father whom he had tried to love, no matter how poorly he had treated his son. He was also crying for the loss of his friend, though it had not yet happened. He had never known such terrible pain, and yet he noticed that crying actually helped to alleviate it somewhat. And he had his friend with him; she wasn't lost to him yet. What did it matter how different they were? Her friendship was precious to him. To think he had almost scotched it several times! And what was she doing now? She was holding him close and letting him cry on her shoulder, stroking his wet cheek with the back of her hand. He had forgotten that such kindness could exist.

There were voices in the hallway, and Sarah recognized them as belonging to Sir Didymus and Shiva. If Hoggle noticed them he didn't let on. The worst of the storms had passed; hitching breaths and sniffles were all that remained. Anything could set him off again, but he was finally getting calm. Sarah only held him, not wanting to say the wrong thing again. She hadn't meant to make him cry so hard. 

_If I had only gone around this place, he wouldn't be going through this. Of course I had other options! How could I be so stupid! _Sarah sighed. Of course the dreams would still have come, but he wouldn't have found out about his father's suicide just yet. What had the note said? Sarah could only imagine. The letter was private, she knew that; what had passed between father and son was Hoggle's business. He would tell her if he wanted to. 

Hoggle began to grow quiet, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he shifted to a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. His body felt numb, and the thought of walking the short distance to his bed nearly made him groan aloud. Passing a shaking hand over his eyes, he sighed and used an expression that he had once heard Sarah use. "This sucks."

"Yeah…" Sarah sighed. She couldn't agree more. 

The door opened, and Shiva came in with a pot of tea and a plate of cookies on a tray. "I thought you two could use this." She explained, setting the tray down on the floor in front of them. Hoggle lifted his head to look at her, and Sarah could feel him tense up as if getting ready to run. 

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Shiva told him, "I know you've had some bad experiences with another member of my race, but as far as you're concerned I'm harmless."

"Harmless…" Hoggle mouthed silently to himself, and sighed. "Right…okay." He nodded several times to reassure himself, and forced his body to relax a little. 

"I thought you might remember me, at least a little." Shiva continued, "I don't remember you, of course; so many of you change too quickly for me to hold an accurate picture of you in my head. Also, Hoggle is a fairly prevalent name here."

"I don' t 'member you." Hoggle replied dully. "I mostly just left the house to work."

"Why?" Shiva asked, sensing an anomaly of some kind. Something didn't fit. The dwarves that Shiva had observed had always been social among their own people. 

"I just did." he glanced up at her, a spark of anger kindling in his blue eyes. Shiva met Sarah's eyes, and Sarah gave her head a small shake.

"All right. I'm Shiva, by the way."

"Uh-huh." 

He wanted her to leave, she could see that. This dwarf had no love for the fae people, that much was obvious. She wondered what he would think if he knew that his friend Sarah was becoming one. _Poor child…_

Shiva caught the smile before it formed. She would have to stop thinking of the shorter-lived races as children! 

"When were you planning on leaving this town, Sarah?" the fae inquired, and was favored with a weary smile.

"I haven't really had time to plan. It depends…" Sarah shrugged, not wanting to put Hoggle on the spot. "I really would like to try tomorrow if I can." 

"A wise choice, if you wish to save Jareth" Shiva assented, then focused her gaze on Hoggle, who had begun to look horrified. To him she said, "It would also be a wise choice for you to remain here for a time."

"Why?" Hoggle demanded.

Shiva took a moment to reply, choosing her words carefully. "Because something, I know not what, has happened to you. You need time to heal, and that makes this journey dangerous to your welfare."

"Stayin' here would be even worse. I…this place had a part to play in it. And I won't leave Sarah."

"Is it that you're afraid to have her leave _you_? That you think she can protect you from the dreams?" Shiva asked gently, knowing that she might be provoking him to fight with her. 

It surprised her a little when he looked down in shame and said, "Partly. But I don' want her to face this alone either. What got me thinkin' was…"

"What?" asked Shiva.

"Well…she's my friend, that's one. And I was thinkin' about how I'd fare alone in _her_ world." He looked up. "The answer was not very well."

"Hmm…perhaps you're right about her being able to protect you from the dreams, at least to an extent. It is your choice, of course. Your courage is admirable, but in this case perhaps it is foolish." Said Shiva.

Hoggle glanced up incredulously. _Did she say _courage? _But I'm a…Maybe I'm _not_ a coward…_

"If I may ask…don't get angry…what happened to you?" 

Hoggle opened his mouth and took a small breath to speak, and stopped short. He knew he shouldn't trust her, but what was to stop her from prying the information from his brain? Why did she have to bring it up? She seemed to be genuinely concerned, but still…she was a fae! Fae were trouble, fae were…

But how many fae did he actually know?

Finally, he sighed. "Fine. We stopped at my father's house today, and I found out…I found his suicide note on the table." He pressed his lips together, his face a careful mask.

"Ah…And you had no prior knowledge of this?" 

"No."

"But that's not all, is it?" she continued in a whisper.

Sarah wanted to make her be quiet, but she couldn't seem to move. She sensed that Shiva only wished to help, but she wasn't sure if the fae was actually causing harm instead. 

Hoggle shook his head. "He…he killed my mother. And I forgot…How…how could I?" his eyes grew distant. _Please go away!_

Shiva was silent for a moment, and then she passed her hand in front of Hoggle's face, palm glowing dimly. Hoggle's body grew slack, and before Sarah could ask what Shiva had done he was asleep. "What…"

"He's all right. He just needs rest." Shiva told her. 

"Why did you do that?" hissed Sarah. "Hasn't he been through enough? He didn't deserve that!"

"I'm sorry. I can't help him with this one. I wanted to see if I could, that's why I pushed him. I was wrong. If you wish, I can make him forget this conversation."

"No, Shiva. Really, I appreciate your trying to help, but no one's going to mess with his head. No."

Shiva actually lowered her head in contrition, and Sarah didn't quite know how to react to it. Instead, she changed the subject. "Where is Sir Didymus?"

"He went to the stables to check on his…er, steed. He also wished to speak with Ludo. I have a feeling that he will be apologizing to both of you sometime soon."

"I didn't mean to yell at him, though. What about the dreams? Should he be out there?"

"Oh, I think he'll be all right. I gave him a charm that will hopefully ward off any malignant dreams that may come."

"Oh. What did you give him?"

Shiva grinned mildly. "A simple button made of antler, but a very powerful ward. The deer is my other form, so any product that comes from the body of a deer is especially receptive to my power."

"How great is your power?" asked Sarah.

"Considerable, but nowhere near as great as the Goblin King's were."

__

Were…she's really serious about this. Will he really die if I wait too long? And damn it, why should I care!

"How much time does he have?" she found herself asking.

Shiva sighed, and said, "Perhaps a week, but no longer."

Sarah swallowed hard, her stomach growing cold. This was really going to happen, and she would be stuck with his powers.

"Don't leave…" Hoggle murmured in his sleep. She looked down at him and saw tears running down his face. A brief vision flashed before her eyes; a small, strangely familiar boy wailed silently as he reached out into a dreary gray nothingness. It took Sarah some time to realize that the child was Hoggle, as he once was. The image rapidly dissipated, and Sarah solemnly dried Hoggle's tears. She could only guess what he had been reaching out for, but she had a fairly good idea.

"Put him in his bed, Sarah." Shiva said gently, "He needs his rest."

Sarah nodded and carried Hoggle to his bed, glad for once to have someone tell her what to do. She brought the blanket up to his shoulders and, on impulse, kissed his forehead. Shiva merely looked on, saying nothing until Sarah sat down on the floor near the bed and helped herself to a cookie from the neglected tray. 

"What did you see?" asked Shiva.

Sarah choked briefly, struggling to swallow the morsel of shortbread. "How…how did you know I saw something?"

"All fae get that look on their faces when having a vision."

"Oh…" Sarah coughed again, and drank some tea. "I think I saw…It wasn't a vision, it was something in Hoggle's mind. He…he was a little boy, reaching out for something."

Shiva nodded. "And what do you think he was reaching out for?"

Sarah looked down at Hoggle, and shrugged. "I don't know, but I think it might have been his mother. I didn't see."

"No…" Hoggle moaned, growing increasingly distressed.

"Easy…" Sarah whispered, her hands on his shoulders, "Easy."

Sarah felt her hands begin to tingle, and would have drawn back in shock if Hoggle hadn't suddenly grown quiet. "What…what did I do?"

Shiva beamed at the young novice's surprise at her own accomplishment. "You've just cast a tranquility spell. Your magic will react to your desires, whatever they may be. Learning control is very important, Sarah. Be patient; you're doing very well."

"But I don't…" Sarah began, biting her tongue. Instead, she muttered, "It's late."

"So it is. Well, I bid you good night." Shiva got regally to her feet, and left the room. Sarah shook her head and curled up on the floor. She wasn't even aware that she had changed form again and was once more a cougar.

***

__

It was beautiful, the place where she sat. As a child she had wanted to be able to sit on top of the clouds, thinking that they were as soft as they looked. She had told her mother Linda about her desire on the way to the dentist one morning, and had been crushed when told that it was impossible. "All clouds really are is fog, like the one we're driving through now." Her mother had said, annoyance dripping from every syllable. Jamming on her brakes, Linda had shouted, "Nice signal, asshole!" and that was the end of that discussion.

But Sarah was _sitting on a cloud, and it took her only moments to realize that it was taking her somewhere. Somewhere she thought she might want to go, but she wasn't sure what that place was. _

But the cloud was sure. It bore her silently over the Labyrinth, and through one of the windows of Jareth's castle. "Why am I here?" she wondered aloud.

"Mmm…" 

Sarah jumped, and saw Jareth lying facedown on a rug by his bed. She took a brief step back, then leaned down to look. "Jareth?" she whispered. The fae looked up, and an odd smile graced his pale lips.

"You. You're learning to use your…powers…uh!" he grimaced.

Sarah's heart bounced up unexpectedly against her larynx, a sensation she had not bargained for, and did not like. "What happened?"

"I don't know." He admitted, pushing himself up on his hands and knees, and collapsing into a sitting position against his nightstand. "I've just been getting weaker. It's the damnedest thing." He smiled wearily. "It's almost enjoyable…like after a very hot bath…if it weren't for the effort it sometimes takes to keep breathing when I sleep." 

Sarah caught herself as her brow began to knit with concern. This was her enemy! He had nearly killed her best friend! Why should she care if he died?

"So…" Jareth looked up at her, "why have you come?"

"I…I think I'm dreaming." She shook her head.

"Of course you are. I'm _not. You're not really here, you know. Somehow you've linked minds with me, and this enables me to see and hear you. I used to be able to do that…but why are you here? Is something wrong?"_

Sarah nearly laughed. "You might say that."

"Tell me."

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

Jareth nodded, and somehow Sarah wasn't surprised to see that he was sincere. She sighed.

"Okay…First you take me out of my world on some stupid quest to get your powers back, blackmailing me with threats against myself and my friends, and…" she swallowed. "Those cuts on Hoggle's arm—I know you knew about them—they got infected, and he nearly died. Those dreams you made seem to be favoring him_ over everyone else, and they made him remember that his father killed his mother; and just today he found out his father killed himself! And tonight one of those dreams nearly made him slit his wrists! You don't even need to be asleep anymore to have them. I'd say something is wrong!" she paused for breath, and was surprised to see Jareth's mouth hanging open in apparent horror._

"Well? Say something!" she shouted.

Jareth shook his head and looked away. "I didn't know about his father."

"That's it. That's all you can say. You started this, Jareth! Because you lost your 'game' you took it out on him, and on Didymus and Ludo. Not to mention the entire Underground."

"I'm…sorry, Sarah. I am."

"Do you have any idea of what you've done?" Sarah demanded, tears threatening, "Not only to them, but to yourself?"

"Myself?" 

"Yes, yourself! Your magic is still going into me, and eventually you'll die. It'll kill you. Unless that magic is countered…but I…"

"Die…well, I suppose I should have known." Jareth said to himself.

"Doesn't that bother you?" she squinted, trying in vain to keep her tears from falling. 

Jareth looked up and smiled gently at his love. "Not anymore, Sarah. I don't want to die, but I accept it."

"Why?" she cried.

"Because I love you. I know you'll be happier without me. And I want you to b…"

Sarah opened her eyes, and squinted as the sun shone in them. 

***

Later that morning Sarah spoke to Shiva about the dream she had had, and the azure-haired fae listened attentively without speaking until she had finished. The silence stretched between them, broken only by Hoggle's steady breathing as he slept nearby. Due mostly to Sarah's tranquility spell he had slept heavily all night and most of the morning, and his sleep had been blessedly dreamless. 

"So what does it mean?" asked Sarah.

Shiva shook her head, and replied, "You would know better than I. It was no ordinary dream, Sarah. Your mind linked with Jareth's. You would not have done so if part of you did not want to. What he told you is for you to interpret."

"But what should I do?"

"That is for you to decide. What do you _want_ to do, Sarah?"

"I want to go home!" she said in exasperation. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "But I can't just let him die. It…it wouldn't be right. Not if I can stop it."

Shiva nodded, her mouth bowed into an enigmatic half-smile. Hoggle stirred briefly; he seemed to be on the verge of waking up. 

"You will have to travel to the City of the Fae to learn how to stop the nightmares and save Jareth." Shiva whispered on her way out.

Shiva had left a tea tray behind with breakfast for the both of them, and Sarah was just debating whether or not she should wake up Hoggle when he opened his eyes.

"Hey." Sarah said quietly. He turned his head to look at her; his face registered confusion at first, then he sat up and groaned at the stiffness in his back and shoulders.

"Was you here all night?" he asked after he had stretched.

"I guess. You hungry?"

Hoggle realized that he hadn't eaten since the morning before, but he didn't want to eat. He sat down on the floor near Sarah and accepted a cup of tea, but it took every ounce of control he had to gag down a piece of toast. Before long he had pushed away his plate, and said that he couldn't eat anymore. Sarah just nodded and pushed away her own plate; she wasn't very hungry either. Somehow she would have to persuade Hoggle to consider staying behind, and she knew that he would object. 

__

"Don't make him stay, Sarah. Let him choose his own path." Said Shiva's voice. She jumped, but Hoggle's quizzical look told her that it had only been a telepathic message. 

"What?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing.

"My lady, Sir Hoggle?" Didymus inquired from the doorway. When Sarah smiled and indicated that he should come in he continued, "I…I apologize, Sir Hoggle. I misspoke myself last night, and I was wrong."

Hoggle shrugged. "Forget it. It wasn't you," he said gruffly, unaccustomed to having people apologize to him. Didymus entered the room self-consciously, and helped himself to some tea.

"When didst thou wish to start out?" 

Sarah kept her eyes carefully trained on her teacup and replied, "Today." She waited for Hoggle to say something but he remained silent, his own eyes lowered. Seizing her courage, Sarah cleared her throat and asked her dwarven friend, "What do _you _want to do, Hoggle?"

Hoggle stayed quiet for a long time, and finally he reached into his vest's interior pocket and drew out a familiar envelope. Then, jaw set determinedly, he ripped it in half and said, "I'm goin' with you, like I said before."


	15. On the Road Again

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 15

Hoggle stood by the window in his room while Sarah busied herself elsewhere, though what she was up to exactly he didn't know. Since awakening they had all had the opportunity for a quick wash, though Sarah seemed to wish for a change of clothes. Hoggle, who was too sheepish to admit that he only owned seven sets of clothing which he rotated during the week, had kept silent. He was watching a small group of children play in the snow, an activity he had no memory of doing and one that he had no desire to ever attempt. It was cold and wet, and had a nasty habit of seeping into one's boots. 

The dwarf sighed and rested his arms on the sill. The searing agony he had felt the night before had subsided to a dull ache, but it was still there, eating away at him like an icy parasite. He would almost have welcomed last night's tearful convulsions over this hollow cold. Almost. _ Didymus saw me too…He saw how weak I am. Idiot! Stupid!_

A lump rose in his throat, and he swallowed it back. _No, I won' do it again! No. No more cryin' fer you, Hoggle. Couldn't be helped last night, but it can now! So you just stop it!_ He held his breath and focused on the horizon. The tears came anyway, but he had succeeded in staying calm. He nodded to himself. _That's fine…just not that other._

He froze. Someone was approaching the door. Hastily he wiped his eyes and gave his head a shake, and just in time. It was Sarah, and he felt a surge of relief that it was not that fae woman. 

"It's almost that time." she told him. Her face was drawn and tired as she came up beside him. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked.

She sighed, and nodded wearily. "I have less than a week to get to the city of the fae and back, and it's too far for us to walk."

Hoggle just looked at her, knowing that she was leading up to something.

"Shiva told me that I can make it in a day if I take cougar form and run, but the rest of you won't be able to keep up." She held up a hand to stop his protests, and continued, "I can carry one of you on my back. Not Ludo, he'll definitely have to stay behind, but I can carry either you or Didymus. I can't carry both of you, and I haven't told Didymus yet. I'm not sure what I should do."

"I ain't stayin' here." Hoggle said flatly.

"But Hoggle, after everything that's happened…" she stopped abruptly, recognizing the look he was giving her; it was the look of a caged animal, both fearful and volatile.

"All the more reason fer me not ta stay here." He argued, gripping the sill and looking down at the laughing, shrieking children. "I knows what yer worried about, Sarah, but I'm fine. Or, rather, I will be when I leave this hell hole. You see those kids, Sarah? he pointed.

"Yes."

"Take a closer look at them two right there."

Sarah leaned forward so that her nose was almost touching the glass, her breath causing the window to fog. She looked at the children that Hoggle had pointed to, and stared. One of the children, a little boy, had a split lip and a black eye. The other one, a girl, had similar marks on her face and neck. "They could have gotten them playing." She said quickly, but Hoggle shook his head.

"Them's new bruises, Sarah, and they had them when they got here." He looked up and touched his own cheek as if feeling the pain of old bruises. "I envy you, Sarah. You had it easy, and I'm glad fer ya, but I woulda killed to grow up in your home. You…You think I was the only dwarf kid to get beat up on? Ha!" He turned away and put his hand on the frosty glass. 

They were silent for a while, and Hoggle turned his back on the playing children. Sarah thought carefully for a moment, and decided to ask the question that had been on her mind for some time. "Hoggle…don't get mad, but…how old were you when you left home?"

The dwarf shrugged and looked to his left; Sarah was at his right. "Thirteen." He mumbled, and continued to look away from her.

"You were only _thirteen_?" she asked in a small, strained voice. He turned so that his back was to her and his left fist rested on the windowsill. His shoulders began to quiver as he tried vainly to choke back tears. 

Sarah felt a stab of guilt as she reached out to rub his back. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you."

Hoggle, unable to speak, gave his head a fierce shake.

"You want me to leave?" she asked quietly, and he shook his head again. Swallowing hard, he rubbed his eyes and drew a long breath.

"Sorry." he said, "Just…just too many things in my head right now. Some of it I don't know if I kin rightly believe. It…it wasn't you, Sarah. I…" he looked down at his hands, which were twisting knots in his shirttail. "I was…damn it!"

"What?"

"I wasn't done when you came in…I was too 'shamed ta let you see." he swiped at his eyes again, cursing under his breath. Sarah could see his neck reddening with his embarrassment, and her heart turned over painfully.

"Hoggle…after all that's happened, you're entitled. I'd be embarrassed too, but there's really nothing wrong with it. I'm sorry I interrupted."

"Aw, hell." He swore. "Interrupt me. This ain't the time. There's still stuff to do." He turned, and though his face bore the evidence of his grief, his eyes were determined. "We gonna do it, or what?"

Sarah smiled, and quickly hugged him before he could protest.

***

It was harder to leave the others behind than Sarah and Hoggle had thought it would be. After much argument Didymus conceded that Sarah was right, that Hoggle should be allowed to go, and kissed her hand in farewell. Ludo lifted her off the ground in a bear hug, and purred mournfully. 

"Ludo love Sarah. Come back to Ludo, Did-mus." he said earnestly, setting her down.

"I love you too, big guy. Take care."

Hoggle hung back and watched the exchange with a sinking heart. He didn't realize what it meant until the fox approached him. Didymus, usually so straight-backed and military, surprised him by taking his hand and giving it a hearty shake. "Farewell, Sir Hoggle. When this is done I shall buy thee a tankard of the finest ale, and you shall tell me what I missed, eh?" he said, and Hoggle noticed with some amusement that he had said 'you' and 'shall' instead of 'thou' and 'shalt'.

"Sounds good to me, but just tell me one thing. I ain't no knight, so why do ya insist on callin' me 'Sir' Hoggle?"

"Why, because thou art knightly in spirit if not by title. The same be true for my brother Ludo, who is neither a knight nor my brother by blood. Titles are given and some may be taken from thee, but character is inborn and thine alone." Didymus replied.

"Oh." Hoggle nodded, not quite knowing how to respond to that.

Didymus smiled, an odd expression on his canine face, and said in a low voice, "Be brave, sir. I know thou art grieved, but the time for weeping is passed. Lady Sarah is strong, to be sure, but she is also young and new to our world. You must be her rock now, just as she was yours. And do not judge her for where her heart might lead her."

Hoggle shuddered. "I hope it doesn't."

"As do I, my brother, but 'tis not for us to decide." He clapped Hoggle on the shoulder, and moved off to tend to Ambrosious.

Now Hoggle knew why his heart was sinking. The group was breaking up, and he had grown used to their company. Ludo gave Hoggle a pat on the back that would have sent him tumbling into a snow drift if Sarah hadn't caught him.

"Whoops! You okay?" 

"Yeah."

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, hold on." She said, holding out her hand. He took it, and steeled himself against what he knew was coming. Shiva had told him that she would transport them to just beyond the Dwarven Kingdom, and Hoggle appreciated Sarah's offer to hold hands. He knew it wasn't necessary, but they were both leery of transport spells. Sarah simply wasn't used to being in one place one second and in another place the next, but she didn't suffer the brief vertigo and nausea that Hoggle had always suffered. The first time he was transported, he had told Sarah earlier that morning, he had ruined a new pair of shoes. Sarah had in turn told him to remind her not to drive him anywhere. He had frowned in confusion, and clamped his mouth shut.

Hoggle closed his eyes, and felt his breakfast rising in his throat. _No, not now_! He swallowed hard, and the sensation quickly passed.

"You're crushing my hand." Sarah informed him, and he let go with a mumbled apology.

"Are you certain of the way?" asked Shiva, who stood with them.

"Yeah. I have the map in my pack. My pack! What'll happen to it when I transform?" she asked suddenly. Shiva reassured her, saying that it would change with her and become a part of her, like her clothes.

"You can also talk to Hoggle by way of telepathy while in your animal form. Try it now."

Sarah drew her head back slightly, and looked down at Hoggle. "_Can you hear me_?"

Hoggle jumped, though he had known what to expect. "Loud'n clear, just tone it down a bit."

"Sorry." she winced. She could imagine the headache she had just given him. Hoggle picked up on what she was thinking; she hadn't quite severed the connection.

"S'okay, it just lasted a second."

Sarah's eyes lost focus, and her form began to meld and shift. Hoggle couldn't watch directly; it made him dizzy. When she was done he asked, "Does it hurt?"

"_No._" she told him, her thoughts carefully muted, "_You just feel your sense of balance shifting, and…something like the pins and needles you get when your foot falls asleep._"

Hoggle took an involuntary step back as her strange, feline eyes seemed to bore into him. He backed into Shiva, who steadied him firmly. "Don't be afraid. You know she's still Sarah."

"I know that!" he snapped gruffly, shaking her off. Then, flushing red, he muttered, "Sorry. I just…"

"You don't trust me." she finished gently.

He shook his head. "I can't. I want to, but…"

"You can't, because I'm a fae. Don't apologize. Our reputation is not good. You must be on your guard in the city of my people." This was for both of them. "Sarah may be accepted, but do not allow yourselves to be separated. Share the same rooms, if you need to stay that long. Do not volunteer more than what is necessary. The only one you may trust openly is my sister Allisande, she of the red light. Ask for her by name, if you feel you can do so safely, but make sure it is her."

"_How will we know_?" asked Sarah.

"Ask her to transform. She is the only one of us to take the form of a she-bear."

"Oh boy…" Hoggle shivered. Sarah, who stood behind him while he stared up at Shiva, rested her massive chin on his shoulder. She purred briefly, and this time he was comforted by that loud rumble. He forced a laugh, and leaned away. "Leave off, yer tickling me!"

"_It's good to hear you laugh._" She sent to him as she crouched down to allow him to get on her back.

"Well, that's nice of you to say." He replied with gleeful sarcasm as he scrambled up. "Pop always told me I brayed like a jackass." 

Sarah made a frightening noise, but somehow Hoggle knew that that was what passed for laughter in this form. "_You do._"

He tweaked one of her ears, and snapped with equal amusement, "Mouse-eater!"

Sarah glanced mischievously over her left shoulder, and licked her chops.

"Ah! Don't even…" he held up one finger, and tapped her on the nose. "Teeth to yourself!"

"_Ready_?"

"Yes."

Shiva, who had been watching them with some amusement, pointed out the direction and said goodbye. Then, just like that, she was gone.

"_Should I start out slow?_" Sarah asked.

"That's okay, just try not to throw me off." He said with more certainty than he felt. "Um…what should I hold onto?"

"_I've had some riding experience. You're supposed to grip with your knees. As for what to hold onto…I guess my shoulders or neck would be okay, just try not to choke me._"

"Mm-hmm." He followed her directions and tried not to tremble. "Go ahead."

Sarah began to trot down the beaten path, the snow feeling delicious beneath her heavily padded paws. If she had been a horse she might have made him nauseous with all the bouncing and jouncing that came with a trot, but as a cougar she provided as smooth a ride as he could have asked for. Gradually she picked up speed, and though the wind tore at Hoggle's coat and made him shut his eyes he was in no danger of falling off. She felt him begin to relax, and sensed that he was actually beginning to enjoy himself.

As Sarah leaped over a fallen tree, Hoggle felt his heart leap within him. Sudden, fierce joy bubbled within him as his spirits rose, and his prior sadness was forced to the sidelines. No, he wasn't a coward! Not at all. He felt brave, strong, ready to face anything! Though he knew that feeling wouldn't last he reveled in it, savoring it and trying to hold on to it for as long as he could. Sarah had given this to him, and no one, not even Jareth, could take this away from him.


	16. Attack! Confessions

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 16

Sarah stood uncertainly, swishing her tail as The City of the Fae itself loomed ominously in the distance. Hoggle had called a halt, and was just returning from taking care of some personal business; Sarah felt the need as well, but she stifled it. She could still wait a while.

Hoggle walked up beside her, and nodded in the direction of the city. "Well…there it is. No turnin' back now."

"_The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back, no turning back…_" Sarah sang in her thoughts, quoting a song she had learned in Sunday School. 

"Sarah…" the dwarf gave her an odd look, "You ain't gone knackers, have ya?"

She gave a mental laugh, and shook her head. "_No. It's a line from a song. Somehow, it just seemed appropriate._"

"Appropriate or not, it gave me the chills. Too…" he paused, searching his brain for the word, "_final._"

"_Sorry. I wasn't trying to project that time. I still need some practice._" Her ears laid back as she frowned in consternation. "_Not very reassuring to know that I can't control it as well as I thought._"

Hoggle draped an arm over her shoulders and leaned against her side. "You will. Don't worry 'bout it."

"_You just sounded an awful lot like my dad, you know that?_" she asked, half-amused and half-comforted.

"Uh, yes, well…" he said briskly, putting his hands behind his back. He knew that she was amused by his shyness, but he didn't know that it had endeared him to her. She thought it touching how he turned red and squirmed whenever he got flustered. He was almost like a gruff old grandfather, a loving father, a teasing brother and a scared little boy all in one body. With those three friends she had met on that first fateful day, four if you counted Ambrosious, she felt a camaraderie she had never before experienced. Now it was just the two of them, she thought sadly.

"Are we going?" Hoggle asked finally.

"_Yes._"

***

Night had overtaken them, but it took Sarah little time to reach the edge of the city. There was no city gate; the fae were confident in their abilities, and had not felt the need to build one.

Sarah stalked low to the ground through the vacant streets, ears laid back and pupils dilated so that only a sliver of yellow-green iris showed. Hoggle's hands gripped the scruff of her neck painfully, but she paid it no mind. She was more interested in getting her bearings and deciding what to do.

An orange tomcat oozed his way around one of the buildings, and both tomcat and she-cougar froze. The tom remained still, save for his pink nostrils, which quivered as he sampled her scent. He arched his back in a stretch, his ear-tips touching briefly as he yawned, and he began to slowly approach her. 

"Mierrrrow." He chirruped a greeting, tilting his head to one side. "Mierrrrow." "_Who are you?_"

Sarah jerked her head back, then lowered it again till her chin was touching the snow. "_Who might _you _be_?" she asked, laying back her ears and baring her teeth in a brief but unmistakable threat.

The tom purred. "_I asked you first. Why would a lady of the fae deign to carry the likes of _that?"

Sarah snarled viciously and made a swatting motion that sent snow crashing into the cat's face. "_He's my friend. And I'm no fae!_"

The tomcat swiftly made the transition to his first form, and folded his arms. "Sink me, but that wasn't nice." He declared in a foppish drawl, looking down his long nose at her. "But I suppose that is how healthy curiosity is rewarded these days. Very well, then. If you are not a fae, show me what you really are."

Hoggle slowly dismounted, and tried to remain unnoticed. Sarah, sensing the arrogant fae's disbelief, decided to throw it in his face that she was right and he was wrong. It took her a little longer, but she made the successful transformation from cougar to human. Her expression hadn't changed; her eyes practically shot flames at the fae, and her arms folded indignantly across her chest. "Still think I'm a fae?" she asked smugly.

The fae shrugged and said, "Yes. At least, you soon will be…Sarah." He leered obscenely, his eyes not meeting hers, but somewhere below her chin. "So, you're the thorn in old Jarrie's side." He brushed back his orange hair with a slender hand, and sniffed disdainfully.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

He lifted his chin, and placed a hand on his breast. "I suppose I might be your worst nightmare." He allowed this to sink in before turning cat and launching himself at Hoggle's face. The dwarf raised his arms in defense as the claws began to rend and tear fabric and skin. Sarah reached desperately for the cat, but it dissolved into smoke and resolved some distance away in the form of a dwarven female. "Or, maybe, his."

Hoggle slowly took his arms down. The 'woman' dissolved with a pitiful wail that wrenched a short cry from Hoggle. Even after all she had witnessed, Sarah was taken aback by the cruelty of those things, whatever they really were. They were becoming less and less like nightmares and more like a macabre sort of reality. 

"Somethin' ain't right…somethin'…" Hoggle held his arms close to his abdomen as if he had a stomach pain. "Somethin' ain't right." He said in a stronger voice. "Where's all the fae, Sarah? Ain't that late…where'd everybody go?" 

_I don't like it here._

Sarah heard his thought, and nodded. "You're right. That _is_ weird."

"What should we do?" Hoggle mumbled, half to himself.

Sarah reached into her pack, and pulled out the book. The cover, the previously immaculate cover was warped and stained with what looked like mildew; three of the pages fell out, but before touching the snow they turned translucent and disappeared. Hoggle made a small sound of dismay, not because he particularly liked the book, but because of what it might mean. Would they suffer without the valuable information that might have been on those pages? Was there a curse on them now because of that little mishap? Was Jareth dying?

Sarah sank to her knees as the same thoughts occurred to her. Opening the book, she found that her map was gone; it had been one of the pages to fall out. On one of the previously blank pages was a moving picture. She saw Jareth, facedown in a sea of vomit on his bathroom floor. Nightmare creatures surrounded him, bat-winged and leering, naked and horrible, stubby penises bobbing as they tortured him. They couldn't touch him, but what they were saying to him seemed to be enough to sap his strength. Sarah gave a strangled sob, and thrust the book away from her. It landed open at Hoggle's feet, and he stood frozen with shock until he heard Sarah crying. She was leaning forward so that her head was inches from her knees, her hands pressed tightly over her face.

"Ah, lass, don't." he told her, almost in tears himself. He put his arms around her, feeling horribly inadequate; he couldn't gather her in like she could him. Even in her fetal position her head was level with his chest. _Oh, damn, whaddo I **do**_? He wondered desperately. "Sarah, please don' cry. It'll be okay, don' cry." At this, much to his dismay, she only cried harder. He was doing his best, damn it! He supposed he wasn't one to talk, but still…_what could he do?!_

_"Let go, I'm gonna be sick!" _she sent to him, and he sprang back as she got to her feet and stumbled blindly into an alley. Now, Sarah was squeamish, but Hoggle was worse. He put his hands over his ears and clamped his eyes absolutely shut, feeling a bit nauseated at the mere mention of someone else being sick. The nausea turned to butterflies of guilt when he heard her say in his mind, "_It's safe now._"

"You'll be okay?" he asked, lowering his hands to his sides. She nodded, and flipped the book shut with her foot. Then she left it lying in the snow and sat down, in cougar form, on the snow. 

"_We have to find a place to stay, Hoggle. That'll be hard, seeing as how this place seems to be deserted._"

"Naw, it ain't deserted! How could it be? Lookit this place! Makes me feel like a flea."

"_I didn't say it _was_ deserted, I just said it _seemed _deserted. And even if we do…find a place, that is…how do we know we can trust our hosts?_"

Hoggle had nothing to say to this. Instead, he said, "What'd that thing mean by you becoming a fae? You just have Jareth's powers, right?…Right?" When Sarah just looked away, he took a step back. "No…no…"

"_Hoggle…_" she said pleadingly. Hoggle was shaking his head in negation, stark terror dawning on his face. "_Please…_"

Hoggle just backed away, staring at her as if she had betrayed him. "You…you can't do…this…you can't…be…what has he done to you?" 

"_He didn't know it was happening, Hoggle._" She turned human, though 'human' was a gown she was wearing loosely. "Look at me, Hoggle. Do I look any different?"

"Well…no, but…"

"I'm still me. What I am might be changing, but who I am won't change. I told you before that I'd never hurt you. Do you still believe that?"

"I…yeah." He closed his mouth, which had been hanging open like a Venus flytrap.

Sarah sat down with her back against the wall, heedless of the inevitable cold-seat that came with sitting in the snow. This posture was not only to reassure Hoggle; she needed to think. _Well, I'm here now. The City of the Fae. Big wow, clap hands, squeal with glee. Now what in hell am I supposed to do? No one told me that. 'Goest thou to the City of the Fae to learneth. And while you're at it, bring me a Big Mac and fries.' Jeez…_

"What the Sam Hill's a 'Big Mac'?" Hoggle asked from her right side, causing her to jump. She hadn't seen or heard him sit down.

"Don't know about Burger King, huh?" she said, giving him a sidelong glance.

"New question; what's a 'burger'?" he said, resting his chin on his knees and giving her one of his patented smart-ass Hoggle smirks. "Sounds like somethin' that lives in yer nose."

"No," she said with exaggerated patience, "that's 'booger'."

"No it'snot." He said innocently, just barely managing to keep from laughing at his own joke. Sarah turned, and one brief second of eye contact was all it took. They laughed until their stomachs hurt, and when Sarah sat back and accidentally knocked her head on the brick wall, "Ow!" their laughter soared to new, impossible heights. 

_Oh, please God, don't let me pee my pants!_ Sarah prayed fervently, and of course Hoggle heard it and doubled over.

"Sto—stop it, yer—yer—yer _killin'_ me!" he whooped, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"_Get out of my brain! I only have one head!_" she sent.

Hoggle saw Sarah in his minds eye sprouting an extra melon, and of course that only made him worse. When they finally calmed down, Sarah said casually, "So, how do you think we should go about stopping these dreams, Hoggle?"

The dwarf shrugged. "If all else fails, you could always give 'em the ol' raspberry." He said, and thought it would be helpful to demonstrate.

Sarah tittered, and said, "Oh, bra_vo_. What an effort that must've taken. I didn't even have to pull your finger!"

That got them started again, and Hoggle managed to eke out "I di—I—hahaha—didn't really—hahahahaaa!"

"_I can see it now,_" Sarah sent to him, unable to speak, "_Someone asks us what we're doing, and we say 'oh, nothing, just fartin' around'!_"

Finally they were too tired to laugh anymore. Hoggle couldn't remember ever having laughed like that before. It felt good. Yeah, it felt damn good!

"Thanks." Sarah said after a while.

"Fer what?"

"For trying to help. I just…couldn't believe it." She whispered.

Hoggle didn't have to ask what she meant. He was slightly embarrassed by what he had done, but it had been all he could think of.

"He really is dying, isn't he?" she asked, as if it had finally hit home.

Hoggle thought for a few moments before responding. "Sarah, I don't know about any of it. All I know is that before he could take back what he done he got sick. I…Sarah, I heard you talking wif Shiva 'bout yer dream. I wasn't trying to listen in, or nothin', I just…But if what she said was true, then…Yes. I think he might be." He saw her eyes filling with tears, and said quickly, "I'm sorry. You…you care for him…don't you?"

Sarah gulped convulsively, and nodded. "I didn't know how much until I saw that damn picture. I'm sorry, Hoggle. I know what he did to you. I know he's responsible for all this. I…I don't know. You're my best friend." She looked away. "I love you like family, and I hate what he did…I just can't hate _him_. Damn it, I _want_ to hate him! But I think I'm…I can't help it."

"I knows you can't, Sarah. I won't kid ya, he's a bad enemy to have, but…"

"But what?"

"Well, I don't knows if I should be bringin' this up, but if he wanted you for yer…uh…" he steeled himself, "for se…for that thing, then he coulda forced ya. But he didn't. That surprised me." He rubbed the back of his neck, an action that Sarah recognized as his 'I'm embarrassed' pose.

"_Has _he forced anyone before?" she asked.

"You think he'd tell _me_? I don't think so, but I don't know. What I _do_ know is that when it comes to wimmen he don't seem to know what he's doin'. Oh, he's not as bad as me. You knows I ain't married, and…" another embarrassed pause. He wasn't about to tell Sarah that he was a one hundred and fifty-three year old virgin! The fact was embarrassment enough, thank you very much! "Well, you get the idea. I'm with ya, whatever you decide to do."

"You're not mad?" she asked, knowing that he had every right to at least be upset about it. 

"I ain't mad. Don't know what yer Mum and Pop would say…" he trailed off, envisioning that imposing woman of a stepmother when she heard the news…brr! She meant well, but boy, what a shrew! "Are you sure about this? How you feel about 'im?" he asked her, his tone stressing how important it was that she be sure; he couldn't protect her from _this_ mistake, if it even _was_ a mistake, should she choose to make it. 

Sarah closed her eyes, and his face appeared in her thoughts. Her heart began to flutter, and her palms became moist. "Yes." She said.

Hoggle took a deep breath, and told her, "Then say it."

She did. "I love him."


	17. Allisande

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 17

Jareth opened his eyes when the yammering and jeering was suddenly cut off, and found himself alone once more. Crawling over to his bathtub, he pulled himself into a sitting position and turned on the hot and cold water. There was a time when he could have done this simply by thinking, but no more. It took everything he had just to put the rubber bath plug in place, and the effort caused him to have a brown out. The room faded momentarily to gray, than came swimmingly back into focus. 

"Goblins!" he called hoarsely, "Goblins, to my aid!" 

The room made a violent tilt, and he lost himself in the nothingness of a full-blown black out; when he came to he found that he had been stripped of his clothing, and six goblins were lowering him into the warm tub with a gentleness that hardly seemed possible.

"They's gone." One of them observed as he pinched his nostrils shut. "You's two guys get ridda the puke. Yer Majesty? What're yer orders?"

"I can't move…get me clean, and put me to bed." He said weakly. He was too ill and miserable to mind the indignities of his situation. The goblins, who as a rule shunned water, went about their task without complaint. One goblin held his head so that it wouldn't sink below the water, and then he found himself in his bed without any memory of having been put there. He was still naked; apparently the goblins hadn't thought to dress him in his nightclothes. He was also alone.

He was almost asleep when he realized why the nightmares had left him. "Sarah, _no!_"

***

_I love him…_

As soon as the words had left Sarah's mouth, both she and Hoggle found themselves losing consciousness. Hours later, Hoggle awakened to find himself alone and in another part of the city. "Angh…" he groaned as he sat up, his head feeling like it was going to hatch. "Sarah…Sarah!" he stood and turned in a circle as he tried to spot her. "Oh, no…Sarah! Saaaaarrraaaahhh!" 

He shook his head, disoriented and confused. _How did I get here?_

The dwarf leaned against the wall of the round, stone fountain he had woken up beside, and closed his eyes in despair. _Sarah, I'm so sorry…if I hadn't wished myself to yer home, this never would have happened. It's all my fault. For all I know, you could be…I failed ya…Oh, why did I do it!_

"You got scared, Hedgewart." Came Jareth's voice, sounding weakly amused.

_"Hoggle…Jareth?!" _Hoggle jumped so suddenly that he slipped on a patch of ice and jammed his wrist as he tried to catch himself. Hissing through his teeth, he clutched his hand protectively to his belly. _"Leave me alone, Jareth. I don't need this right now._"

"_But Sarah needs_ you_. She's in danger._"

"_No shit._" Hoggle snarled mentally. "_We're all in danger, thanks to you. You kin do whatcha like to me, but it's true. You started this. You put me in danger, then you put Sarah in danger. An' I don't care if you kill me for sayin' so!_"

"_I don't want to kill you, Hoggle. You're the only one who can help Sarah, now._"

"But I don't even know where she _is_!" he yelled aloud, tears blurring his vision.

No answer. Jareth was unable to maintain his connection, and had passed out.

"No! Tell me where she is!" Hoggle shouted, clenching his fists. "Jareth! Oh, damn you. Damn you!" he began to run, not knowing where he was going, not caring, as long as he found Sarah. 

***

Sarah, meanwhile, was just changing to her cougar form, hoping to catch Hoggle's scent. By now she was easily able to identify his scent in the midst of all the others that lingered around her sensitive nose, but his scent had grown cold. She was in the same place where she had lost consciousness, but he had somehow been spirited away. 

Sarah padded away from the wall and tested the air, her jaws slightly parted. The city was most certainly not deserted; she could smell the fae behind every closed door, and she had an idea that they were hiding. Pressing her tongue to the roof of her mouth, she curled her lips in a sneer and inhaled. "_Cat urine_," her nose told her brain, "_A tom cat sprayed nearby._" Her ears rotated back, and she cast a wary eye at the shadows. She half expected to see green eyes staring back at her out of an orange face; nothing. 

"_Hoggle,_" she called, extending mental fingers and hoping that he could answer her. Since she didn't know where he was, she didn't know exactly how to reach him. Jareth, for some reason, was much easier to reach; perhaps this was because her telepathic powers came from him, or it might have been that Hoggle's projective abilities were almost nonexistent. "_Jareth. Can you hear me?_" She waited. For a moment it felt like she had succeeded in reaching him, but he was either unconscious or worse. No; if he had died she would have felt it. So no help there. "_Can someone help me?_" she asked, sending to anyone who might hear her. "_Allisande? Sister of Shiva, please help me!_"

***

A shock wave rippled through the city, shaking foundations and knocking people to their floors. High, triumphant laughter followed the blast, and then all was quiet once more. Cautiously, two fae women sat up and parted the curtains a bit to look out. The younger of the two, who was not yet of marriageable age, turned to the other and said, "Did you feel that, Cousin?"

"Aye," said the other, who was approaching middle age, though she didn't look it. She was tall and rather heavy set, but not fat. Her voluminous robes could do nothing to disguise her muscular stature. She wore her red hair in an untidy braid, which came down to her backside; anyone who had the gall to suggest that she cut her hair was taking his life in his hands. Her expression was so serious that it bordered on severe, and it was sometimes difficult to tell when she was joking or when she was being serious. Like most fae, she resembled her animal form; this was Allisande, the only female fae to take the form of a bear. "It seems the balance has shifted, though not in the right direction."

Reaching into the dish to her right, Allisande crushed a walnut in her hand and picked out the nutmeats, squinting in the lamplight. She and her cousin Sharee sat in silence for hours, the elder cracking nuts for herself and the younger fae. 

While Sharee fidgeted and shifted in her seat, Allisande just sat patiently, ignoring her cousin and waiting. Something was going to happen, this she knew, but she also knew that squirming around wouldn't make it happen any faster. 

"Does it have to do with this Sarah girl?" asked Sharee, popping a perfect nut-half into her mouth.

"Most like." The other hedged, glancing up briefly. "I touched base with the other sisters, and Shiva has met with the girl. Prob'ly forgot to tell her that she had to tell 'His Royal Crankiness' to his face. Sarah must have confessed her love for him to someone else." She shook her head in disgust. "Leave it to Shiva to get it wrong."

"You don't like her, do you Alley?" Sharee pouted a bit.

"Yes, but that has nothing to do with it. What did I tell you about calling me that?" she raised one canted brow.

Sharee giggled, "Sorry. But what does this mean for the Underground? The dreams have already killed several."

"Not directly. Those people killed themselves. The last to commit suicide was some dwarf named Molger. I understand that his son is traveling with Sarah." She said, sweeping nutshells into her palm, where they quickly caught fire and were reduced to nothing. Not even ashes remained, and Allisande's hand seemed untouched by the fire. "In fact, he found out about his father just yesterday."

"Oh my," Sharee paled, "I hope this stops soon. I don't know how many more crying people I can tolerate."

"Easy, little rabbit." Her cousin smiled; Sharee's form was a cottontail, and she was every bit as jumpy as one. "As for what it means for the Underground…" she shrugged. "All we can do is wait and see."

"You wait and see; I'm going to bed." Sharee declared, heading upstairs. Allisande waved a hand absently, staring out the window. A cougar was crouching in the street, looking nervous and ready to kill anything that surprised it. It could have been Gyre or Roth, or maybe Darien, but she knew that it wasn't. Instinct told her that this was a female, and she had a good idea of who this might be. 

"_Can someone help me? Allisande? Sister of Shiva, please help me!_" a voice cried, and Allisande fought the impulse to cover her ears.

"_Wait there._" Allisande sent, striding to the door.

"You hear that, Alley?" 

"Stay here." Allisande told her cousin, opening the door and descending the steps. The cougar growled at her and she slowed her pace, holding out her hands to prove that they were empty. Instead of growing calm, the cougar snarled and raised one massive paw in case it needed to strike.

"_Easy, Sarah. I want to help you._"

"_Show me your animal form._" Sarah sent back, not lowering her paw.

Allisande frowned, but did as she was asked. Her form grew bulky, and in her place was an enormous, cinnamon hued grizzly bear. Rising up on her hind legs, she glared down at Sarah. "_Satisfied?_" she asked flatly. Sarah's pupils doubled in size, and she crouched back in fear. Allisande turned fae, and held out a hand to Sarah. "Where is your friend?"

Sarah shed her animal form, and stood. "How did you know about him?"

"Shiva told me. I'm Allisande. Come inside." She turned to go, but Sarah balked.

"I have to find Hoggle. I can't find to him with my mind, I tried!"

"Of course you can't. You're still human. You weren't born knowing how to do it. Let me try."

***

Hoggle gagged as a hand grabbed the back of his collar. "Going somewhere?" With a deft twist, Hoggle wriggled free and punched his assailant in the groin. The fae gave a high pitched whine and crumpled to the ground, clutching his private parts. This was a real fae, not a dream; Shiva had been right. He didn't wait around for the man to get up. Turning the corner, he strained to run faster. It didn't matter how fast he ran; he could sense something hovering over him wherever he went. He had been running for ten minutes, and finally he stumbled to a halt. Resting his hands on his knees, he leaned forward and coughed. He fell as someone punched him in the back, and when he looked up he saw his father holding his mother by the wrist.

"Hello, boy."

"Yer not real." Hoggle gasped, still out of breath. "Pop's dead."

The figure laughed as he twisted the woman's wrist, drawing a whimper from her lips as Hoggle recoiled from her punished face. "Well, of course he is, boy! You killed 'im." The man told him.

"No! I didn't kill nobody!" 

"You killed _me!_" his mother cried, "If I hadn't been worryin' about you wakin' up, he never would have pushed me down the stairs!"

"Oh, you gonna _cry_ now?" his father mocked, making a crying face, "_Cry_ fer me, boy! Let me see how weak you are!"

Hoggle turned and ran, ignoring his mother's pleas for help. He knew that she was just a dream, but just the same he felt like someone had ripped his heart out and fed it to him. He had to find Sarah. He had to find Sarah…

"Run all you want, boy. You'll never get rid of us. It'll be so easy, just end it all! Use that knife you keep with you. No more pain. No more…"

"No!" Hoggle yelled, and in his distraction he lost his footing. He had stepped into a hole, twisting his left ankle so badly that he knew he wouldn't be able to get up. Gritting his teeth, he crawled under a bush and tried not to cry in his pain and frustration. He lay there for a good while, unable to move and hardly able to breathe. "Sarah…" he whispered, "You _gotta_ be okay! Please, please don't be dead. Please…"

"Yeah, let's see some tears!" his father chuckled, looking down at him.

"Shut up." Hoggle growled.

"That's no way to talk to yer father, boy." The apparition said darkly, lightly cuffing the dwarf's head.

"You ain't my father." Pushing himself up on his elbows, Hoggle glared. "Whatever my father was, he loved my mother. He never…_never_ hit her when he wasn't drunk. Back then he wasn't so bad. It was the whiskey that made 'im do things. After she died, I think he went crazy. Whatever it was, there's no way you're him. How _dare_ you, passin' yerselves off as my parents! You know what you are? Yer _nuthin'!_ Yer just dreams, so _act_ like dreams and disappear!" He threw a handful of snow in the direction of the dream, but it was gone. Against his expectations, it had left him alone. Alone…now, that was something familiar. He was still up on his elbows, and he heard and felt his knife fall from his vest where it lay glinting in the snow. He stared at it for a long while, and when he became aware that he was actually considering using it on himself, he flung it away and buried his face in his arms. 

"_Hoggle._" a voice sounded in his head.

"_Sarah?_" 

"_No, but she's with me. I'm Allisande. Stay where you are, and we'll come get you._"

***

"There you are!" Sarah dropped to her knees, and helped Hoggle out from under the bush.

"You're all right!" he exclaimed at the same time. He was shaken and hurt, but seemed otherwise all right. He stumbled when she helped him up, and she caught him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I…I twisted my ankle." He blinked, not wanting to let her see him cry again.

"I mean, how did you get here?" she clarified, sitting him down again so that she could inspect his injured ankle.

"I…I don't…don't know." he sniffed sharply, hiding his face from view. "Damn it! I…I'm sorry…"

Sarah just squeezed his arm gently, and rolled his pant leg back down. "It's not broken. Is the pain bad?" 

Hoggle sniffled again. "It's fine."

Sarah saw something shiny lying half-buried in the snow. Leaning forward, she recognized it. "Hey, you dropped your knife." She said, reaching for it.

"Leave it!" Hoggle told her sharply, making her jump. "I…I never want to see it again!" he gave a sharp sob, and rubbed his eyes.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"I…I don't want to talk 'bout it." He sniffed.

"Okay." She said simply, holding his hand as he took several deep breaths to calm himself.

Hoggle looked up and gasped. _Not another one…_

Allisande knelt down in front of Hoggle and silently put her hands on his ankle. He looked at Sarah, but she had her eyes on what the fae was doing. Allisande's hands began to glow red, and a gentle warmth soothed his pain and mended the soft tissue that was so strained. He sighed audibly, then became embarrassed when he realized it. He hadn't been able to help it, though; the pain was partly what had had him in tears, it was so bad. The relief was unbelievable. Allisande heard it, and smirked. "Handy little trick, isn't it?"

"I…I suppose so." He muttered, standing carefully. When he was satisfied that he could put all of his weight on it, he thanked her.

The fae nodded, and indicated the street behind her. Without explaining, she turned and walked away. Sarah told him to follow her, and she explained on the way who this fae was.

"But I still don't understand how we got separated." He said, spreading his hands, "Why didn't they just kill me? The dreams, I mean."

Allisande looked over her shoulder and replied, "Jareth took that ability away when Sarah first arrived this second time. Now all they can really do is scare you half to death, and fill you with notions of suicide."

Hoggle shuddered and looked away, but then he thought of something. "When we first got here, to this city, I mean…" he swallowed, "One of them turned into a cat and scratched me. If they can't touch us…"

"They can still injure, but they can't kill directly. It had something to do with how Sarah felt about you." 

"Whaddaya mean?" Hoggle frowned.

"He knew she'd never love him if he'd killed you." she replied.

Hoggle looked away, feeling sick. He looked up when Sarah touched his shoulder, and forced a smile. It looked as fake as it felt. The dreams had almost succeeded in making him kill himself; once by moving his hands for him and stopping at the last second so that he would finish it himself, and once by verbal abuse. Neither time did they do the act themselves. The power was in his hands alone and, truth be told, he was frightened of it.

Allisande led them into her home, and set out a bowl of fruit and a pitcher of water for them. Sarah glanced at the fruits and saw apples, pears and peaches nestled together like eggs. She ignored the peaches and selected an apple. Hoggle, who wasn't hungry, sat back and closed his eyes. While he dozed, Sarah asked Allisande to explain what she needed to learn.

"Maybe you should ask me another question, Sarah. Like, 'how will I be able to save Jareth,' for starters."

Sarah looked down at the tabletop. "Well…I thought that by saying I love him, I could…" she trailed off, embarrassed.

"Close. You have to tell him that to his face, and you have to really mean it. All you did was draw the fiends to you. But as I said, they can't hurt anyone directly."

"But after that, will I have to marry him? I mean, I'm only fifteen!"

Allisande smirked, "That's putting the cart before the horse, but no, it's not a rule. Besides, in the Underground the age of consent for a human is sixteen; You're only a year away, should you decide to marry. If not, there are other ways of showing affection." Her smirk widened into a rare grin, and she winked mischievously.

Sarah cleared her throat, and glanced at Hoggle; the dwarf was asleep in his chair, his chin on his chest. "I'm curious; what's the age of consent for a fae?"

"Ninety-four. For dwarves it's thirty, and for elves…hmm…I'm not sure." Allisande said all this with a straight face, but Sarah got the feeling she was being laughed at. The fae's sense of humor was brusque, but not mean-spirited. In spite of herself, Sarah found herself beginning to like her.

"Now, the dreams…" Allisande prompted, cracking a walnut; the sudden noise made Hoggle jump. The dwarf rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"I jus' fell asleep, didn't I?" he asked.

"Yeah, but you weren't out long." Sarah told him. He blinked a few times, struggling to stay awake.

Allisande stood up. "I'll tell you how to deal with the dreams tomorrow. It can only be done when Jareth is healthy, but it will take both of you. I'll show you where you can sleep tonight."

"Wait…um, Shiva told us not to get separated." Sarah told her.

"I know. It's this way." She led them up the stairs, going slowly so that Hoggle could keep up, and opened the third door on the right. "Choose whichever bed you want," she said, indicating the two twin beds with one hand, "There's a bath through that door, and clothes in the closet. Though, I'm afraid I don't have any men's clothes." She said apologetically to Hoggle, who shrugged indifferently. "I guess that's about it." She left without saying goodnight, but that was lost on Sarah and Hoggle. 

Sarah went to the closet, and found a long flannel night gown. It was too big, but she was too tired to care. She asked Hoggle if he wanted to go first, but he shook his head. She went in to bathe, and Hoggle climbed onto one of the beds, namely the one furthest from the window. When Sarah emerged in a cloud of steam she found him already in bed, his shoes on the floor, and his skull cap still on his head. He was so tired that he had forgotten to take it off. Shaking her head, Sarah removed it for him and put it on the night stand. Then she climbed into her own bed, and turned down the lamp. "Night, Hoggle."


	18. A Rough Night

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 18

A few hours after the dwarf fell asleep, he opened his eyes and wondered what had awakened him. Then he heard Sarah turn over in her sleep, crying softly. Above her sleeping form there seemed to be a glowing red cloud of smoke, rotating slowly and occasionally reaching down to poke at her. They didn't seem to be hurting her physically, but Hoggle knew from experience what they could do to a person's mind. Pushing back the covers, he slipped from his bed and padded cautiously over to hers; cold fear knotted his stomach, but he couldn't leave her at the mercy of the dreams. He couldn't… He reached out to wake her, but paused when she began to speak, "Mommy, you promised…don't…don't start…please…"

Hoggle's face creased as his apprehension grew, and he put his hand on her arm. "Sarah?" he whispered, and froze. A scene began reveal itself to him, though whether he was seeing it with his eyes or his mind he didn't know. He saw Sarah, but she was younger…a little girl, really. Who was that woman…that woman with an empty bottle of bourbon…

***

_Eight year old Sarah opened the front door and called for her mother. She had just gotten off the school bus, and she couldn't wait to show her mother the grade she had gotten on her spelling test. "Mommy! MommyMommy, guess what! Mommmeeey!" No answer. Sarah frowned slightly, discarding her backpack and jacket. Her mother always met her at the door unless she was sick, or…_

Sarah pushed that thought away, and began searching the house. She looked in the kitchen, the dining room, even the back yard, but no Mommy. More softly, she called, "Mommy?"

From upstairs came the unmistakable sounds of someone being sick. Sarah solemnly plugged her ears and began to climb the staircase. Halfway up she found an empty bottle of schnapps, and a little further up she found two empty bottles of vodka. "Mommy, you promised…"_ Sarah thought, tears pooling in her eyes. She pushed open the bathroom door, and found her mother. Linda Williams was flushing the toilet with one hand, and draining the last few drops of bourbon down her throat. "Didn'…Didn't get the part…" her mother said almost indistinctly._

"Mommy, you promised me!" Sarah cried, and she would have ran if her mother hadn't grabbed her wrist and given it a painful twist; Sarah felt the fragile bones snap, and she shrieked and fell to the floor. The girl curled up into a ball to protect herself as her mother stood over her, yelling.

"You didn't see that, hear me? You hear? You…you tell you're father, and…Don't you dare tell your father!"

"Mommy, you promised…don't…don't start…please…"

"Get up!"

"No!" Sarah cried, "Don't hurt me again, Mommy, no!"

"Come'ere!" Linda dragged Sarah down to the pantry and locked her in. "Jus…just stay in there and be…be quiet, you hear!…Ulp!" Sarah plugged her ears again as her mother vomited profusely on the floor. That day her mother had left with someone she didn't see, and that week her father had filed for a divorce. Sarah's wrist was in a cast for six weeks.

***

Hoggle blinked as the scene disappeared, and he hardly realized that he had begun to cry as Sarah's most private trauma was revealed to him. He hurriedly wiped his eyes on his sleeve and put his hands on Sarah's shoulders, shaking her gently. "Sarah…wake up. Sarah, wake up." He said firmly. Sarah opened her eyes and just barely managed to stop herself from swatting him in the face. The dwarf flinched, and she fell back on the pillows. She rolled over on her side, and used her hand to shield the part of her face that wasn't blocked by the pillow. The red cloud remained where it was; soft, sibilant laughter issued forth from its crimson depths. Hoggle swung at it, but his fist just passed right through it.

"You…you s—saw it, didn't…you?" she whispered as Hoggle put his little arms protectively around her as far as they would go, glancing over his shoulder periodically at the cloud.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded, feeling moisture creeping down his cheeks again. He never knew that she had experienced these things that he was so familiar with; she hadn't told him. He couldn't blame her. 

It didn't take long for Sarah to calm down. She pushed herself up on her elbow, and wiped her face with her free hand. "Sorry, Hoggle. It…It was something I've been trying to…pretend never really happened, I guess. I…are you okay?" She sat up a little more, and Hoggle shrugged. He had hoped that his tears wouldn't be visible in the dim lamplight, but she had seen them anyway.

"I guess so," he said, moving away and sitting on the edge of her bed with his back to her. "You?"

She nodded, sighing. "Like you said, I guess so…I know it was just a dream, but…" she trailed off, and Hoggle nodded, his back to her.

"You don' have to tell _me_. You ain't supposed ta feel pain in dreams, but I bet you felt yer…yer arm breakin'…" he closed his eyes tightly, and held his breath for a moment. 

"Yeah…I felt everything. Was it like that for you?" she asked.

Hoggle couldn't speak, so he just nodded. He didn't dare look at her; he had kept control this long, and he was damned if he was going to lose it again. But he couldn't stop remembering; he remembered how his mother's hand had felt on his forehead, a little rough from housework, but cool and gentle…he remembered the terrible sounds of her falling down the stairs…

He bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling, and clenched his hands into fists. Oh, how he wanted to escape!

"Hoggle, are you okay?" she asked, leaning forward. He only turned his face away and nodded again. Sarah could feel the misery radiating from him, and her new powers allowed her to catch snatches of his memory whether she wanted to or not. She could feel his frustration at the fact that, although he had intended to comfort her, he couldn't control these unfamiliar urges to cry whenever he was reminded of what had been done. Seeing Sarah's dream had done everything but make him forget his own pain. Sarah, who dreamed often, was used to the nightmares that occasionally found their way in; Hoggle, who hardly ever dreamed, was not. She was better equipped than he was to shake them off and recover quickly. The dream had shaken her, but she was already forgetting how awful it was; Hoggle's dreams had done nothing but drag him further and further down.

Sarah put a hand on Hoggle's back, and the gesture brought a hitching sob out of him. "Hoggle, it's okay." She said, as if giving him permission to let go.

"No it's _not!_ You were the one…that needed 'elp, and I blew it!" he cried, hanging his head.

"No you didn't. You did help me; you woke me up, and sat with me until I was okay. You did help." She got up and sat beside him on the edge of her bed. 

"Yer just sayin' that…I didn't…" he argued, shaking his head.

"No I'm not. If I wasn't okay, you'd be able to tell. If I woke up alone after that one, I wouldn't be okay. But you were there. You know?"

Hoggle just sniffed, and continued to look away. She could see him trying desperately to keep it in, and her heart went out to him. "Hoggle, what is it that really has you upset? Is it just this, or is it something else?"

"I…I just wish I could _forget_…go back to how it was be—before!" he told her, beginning to break down. "It…It's the same…as what my pop…did to m-me! He never broke m'arm, but…but he did…drink alla time, and hit me, an'…and 'e killed my mum! Killed 'er, an' I couldn't do nuthin' to save 'er! An'…an' with the d—dreams takin' his shape an' hers, I…I…I'm scared, all right! Jus' plain scared!" He got up and began to walk away, but there was nowhere to go. He stopped with his fists resting on his own bed, and shook violently as he made one last effort to keep it in.

Sarah reached out, but she was afraid to touch him now. He didn't want to be like this; he was always horribly embarrassed and ashamed when he cried in front of her. She didn't want to make it worse for him, but she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't just sit there and watch, but there was nowhere for her to go to give him his privacy. Before she knew it, though, it was decided for her. Hoggle couldn't hold it back without suffocating, and he finally gave up and put his face down on the bed. His entire body seemed to be on the verge of buckling as his sobs shook him like a rag doll; he did his best to muffle the sounds in the bedspread, but was having little success.

Without a word, Sarah took him in her arms and rocked him like a baby. He didn't pull away, but Sarah realized that she could probably have put him on her lap right now and he wouldn't have cared. She didn't do that, of course; he would care later, and Sarah was determined to let him keep what was left of his dignity. 

"N—not right…" he gulped.

"What…what do you mean?" she asked.

"Di—Didymus tol' me to b—be strong…Said to be yer rock, but…" he shook his head, "Oh, I'm tryin' to, but…"

"Oh, Hoggle, it's okay. I know you're trying. If you can't help it, it isn't your fault."

"It's just…every time I think I'm—I'm gonna be okay, some—somethin' happens! Somethin' always…reminds me how he treated us, and…how I lost 'er! An' how I didn't do nuthin' to stop it! I…_I didn't save 'er! Why couldn't I save 'er! Why couldn't I—I…Why…I…I can't take it anymore!_"

An image flashed in Sarah's mind; a knife. The knife that Hoggle had left out in the snow. She saw the knife slicing through the skin of his wrist, his throat, burying itself into his chest. Hoggle gave his head a vicious shake and sobbed harder, trying to push the image out of his head.

"Oh, Hoggle…please don't think about that! Never…never…" she held him tighter, as if by doing that she could protect him from himself. He responded by holding on more tightly than ever, his hands like talons on the backs of her shoulders. He was crying so hard now that he was making almost no noise at all; his whole body was extremely tense, and he would have been bent double if Sarah hadn't been there to prop him up. Sarah could actually mark the moment when her heart broke in two in the face of his suffering. She continued to rock him, swaying gently back and forth as he sobbed hysterically into her shoulder.

More images came to her, so vivid that she could actually smell the different smells that he remembered from his past. She saw him as a tiny boy, flinging his arms around his mother's waist and giggling at her surprised expression. She saw his father, a stern man who's chocolate-brown hair was turning gray at the temples. The man came into the house, and hoisted the boy up onto his shoulders. Another image, not so happy; Molger coming home drunk and cornering his wife. Hoggle hadn't understood what his father had wanted at the time, but it was plain to Sarah what he was after. Hoggle had been locked out of their room, and oh, the awful sounds! The crying…the begging…Hoggle had hidden under his bed until his mother had come looking for him hours later. He'd had himself so worked up that he had been sick. The next day, Molger had brought her a bouquet of sweetheart roses. He had cried, begging her forgiveness, and she had held him close and told him that it was all right. Hoggle, who had never seen a man cry before, had just stared and wondered why she wasn't mad at him for what he did. That image faded, and another one replaced it. Hoggle's mother was tucking him in. Later that night, he had heard his father yelling. His mother went to meet him…Sarah could hear him hitting her, she could hear her falling down the stairs…The dwarven woman's face was visible again, but this time it was surrounded by a casket and funeral flowers. She had been so pretty…so gentle…

"Make it stop!" he begged, "Make the—the thoughts stop c—coming!"

"Oh, Hoggle, I can't!" she whispered, "I wish I could, but I don't know how. I could make you forget the wrong thing, or I could even cause brain damage." She frowned. How did she know that?

"I don' care!" he said stubbornly, "I—I wanna forget."

"No…" she told him, softly but firmly, "Maybe you don't care now, but later on you'd never forgive me for it. I wouldn't just be taking away the bad memories…I'd be robbing you of the good ones, too. I know you don't want to forget about your mother, and I think you know it, too."

He acted like he hadn't heard her, but she knew that he had. "Hoggle…do you really want to forget her? Forget the one you loved so much? The one who loved you?"

"S—stop it!" he cried, "You…you don' understand! I c—can't live this way, I _can't!_"

"Just answer my question." She told him. He pulled away from her and turned his back, hurt and angry. What she had asked of him seemed horribly unfair. As he was turning away, he lost his balance and fell to his knees.

"You okay?" Sarah asked, trying to help him up, but he shook her off.

"Leave me alone!" he snapped, sitting against his bed and burying his face in his arms. Sarah sighed and sat back against the nightstand, drawing her knees up under her chin. There was no arguing with him when he was like this, so she did as he had asked; she left him alone.

After a few minutes had passed, Hoggle mumbled something that was made unintelligible by the sobs that interrupted it and his soft tone of voice.

"What?" asked Sarah.

"N—no, I…I don't wanna forget 'er." He said a little louder, "She…she was the only…one to love me…I _can't _forget…h—her."

"Not the only one, Hoggle." Sarah said quietly from her place behind him. "You're not as short on friends as you might think."

Hoggle lifted his head a little, and looked over at Sarah, his eyes red and swollen from crying. He saw her sitting there, several feet away from him, the hurt on her face barely visible. Though she told herself that he didn't mean what he was saying, his rebuff had hurt her feelings. And he knew it. He hid his face in remorse, and burst into tears again. "I'm so sorry…I was a jerk!" he choked, borrowing another word of hers.

Sarah sat down beside him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, come on…snapping at me doesn't make you a bad person."

"Don't—don't make me a—a good one." 

"Well, you _are_ a good one, believe it or not. A bad person wouldn't have cared. You know…I think you're way too hard on yourself, sometimes."

"You—you kiddin'? Yer—yer talkin' to 'Mister Easy Way Out'." He said without looking up.

"But that's not you anymore. You insisted on coming with me, even though I thought it would be better for you if you'd stayed behind. We'll never find out if I was right or not, I guess…but now you're just…beating yourself up all the time. It sounds like the hard way to me."

Hoggle looked up again, his shoulders heaving rhythmically. "But, I…I can't…h-help it. It seems like this's…all my f-fault."

"But it's not." she said firmly.

"I…I know it…ain't, but…just _feels_ like it. I c-can't get 'em out—outta my h-head. Ev-every time I think of h-her, I…it feels like…like someone k-kicked me in the guts. It hurts too bad…I c-can't stand it."

There was a knock at the bedroom door, and Hoggle quickly covered his mouth, trying to muffle the sounds. "Is everything all right in there?" asked Allisande, who had heard the commotion some time ago, and had finally decided to investigate.

"Yeah, I think so." Sarah called back, gently rubbing Hoggle's arm. "Just a rough night."

"Understood. Do you need anything?"

Sarah looked inquiringly at Hoggle, who shook his head, still struggling to keep it quiet. "No thanks." Sarah answered. The fae left, and Hoggle let out the breath he had been holding and began to cry again, but more softly this time.

"I didn't wanna do this." He told her.

"I know."

"I…just miss her." he hung his head, embarrassed, but still he continued, "I never even…got to say goodbye. But it's stupid! It happened so long ago, and I…can't stop thinkin' 'bout it n-now."

"It's not stupid. The dreams brought it back to you, and they won't let it drop. Of course you can't stop thinking about it, not if they're waving it in your face like that. And stop saying that it was your fault, because it wasn't. I know you would have saved her if you could. If you'd put yourself between them, it might have been you going down the stairs. I'm sure she'd want you to live…And she'd want you to be happy. I know I do. Promise me you'll try. Please?"

Hoggle nodded, and wiped his eyes on his sleeve for the umpteenth time. "I'll try…I didn't mean to yell at ya. You was tryin' to help me, an' I…"

"It's okay." She cut him off. "You already apologized once, right? Don't worry about it."

Hoggle glanced up at the red cloud that still hovered in the air; while it had only been over Sarah's bed before, it now filled up most of the ceiling. An image began to form as the looked, but Hoggle quickly closed his eyes and huddled closer to Sarah. "I don't wanna look…"

"Me neither." Said Sarah, but she was looking. It was Molger; he was preparing to hang himself. "Oh…_don't_ look, Hoggle!" she told him, and of course he did. Then he immediately covered his eyes, and Sarah held his head to her shoulder as the image faded. "I told you not to look." Sarah whispered.

"And if I told _you_ not ta look?" he asked.

"I'd probably look." She admitted.

"So…so why're they still goin' at me?" he wondered.

"I don't know…but I think it's because they tried me first and didn't get as big a reaction. Maybe you should try to ignore them, stupid as it sounds."

"You m-mean impossible."

"All right. You tired?" she asked. 

"Yeah, but…" he began to glance up, but stopped himself. The cloud was still there.

"But you're afraid to sleep." He sniffled loudly, and nodded. "It's okay. It's not like you're alone; if you need me, just wake me up."

He nodded again, but they sat there for a while longer. It was actually longer than Sarah had intended; Hoggle had fallen asleep. "Hoggle," she shook him, "Wake up."

"Hmm?" he sat bolt upright, his eyes wide.

"You fell asleep. Why don't you go to bed?" 

He nodded, and surprised her by giving her one last hug. "Thank ya for bein' my friend, Sarah. I don't know what I done to deserve it, but it must've been good."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek, and said goodnight.

He got into his bed and closed his eyes. As he lay there, he thought, "Yer getting a good one, Jareth. If you breaks 'er heart, you better not let me find out about it. Ain't no one's gonna hurt my friend!"


	19. A New Friend

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 19

Sarah groaned as Sharee flung open the curtains, the light stinging her sleep-sensitive eyes. 

"Afternoon, sleepy-heads." the fae said loudly, pulling the covers off Sarah's bed and giving Hoggle a good shake. The dwarf snorted and sat up, his hair sticking up in comic tufts. His glare was spoiled by a wide yawn. "It's two o'clock; s'not fair that you two get to sleep late when the rest of us don't."

"Who are you?" asked Sarah.

"Sharee. You already met my cousin Allisande. She wants to take you somewhere, so if you want to eat first you'd better come down."

"Yer in a hurry." Hoggle observed, pulling on his boots and stifling a groan. He was still congested from the night before, and his head ached.

Sharee smiled sheepishly. "Well, lets just say that you two aren't the only ones running late. Alley and I slept in too. Oh, but don't call her that; she hates it!"

"Uh-hmm." The dwarf grunted, reaching for his skull cap. "Who doesn't hate havin' their names messed up?"

The fae turned to him, and seemed to be sizing him up. "Are you the one Jareth's always calling 'Higgle' and so on?"

Hoggle snorted. "Didn't know I had a fan club."

"I wouldn't call it a fan club; Alley likes to check in with the other powerful fae on occasion, and once she said she heard him call someone 'Higgle', and the guy wasn't too happy about it."

"Yeah, that was me." he frowned, heading for the wash room. Sharee seemed pleasant enough, but he really wasn't in the mood to talk. Last night was still fresh in his mind, and the last thing he wanted to deal with was a town full of the fae people. 

"Stay in there for a few minutes." Sharee called.

"How come?" Hoggle asked.

"Sarah's getting dressed, silly!"

"Oh." Hoggle said, feeling stupid.

He rolled up his sleeve, and unwrapped his forearm. He still didn't understand how it could heal so quickly. He would carry those scars for the rest of his life, but the wounds actually looked good. There was only pain when he pressed on it, and that pain was so small as to be insignificant. _Be nice to know what the monsters put in that stuff…they could make a killing off it._

***

Meanwhile, Sarah was picking out what to wear. Allisande had a rather eclectic selection to choose from, ranging from dresses and robes to pant suits, and with any amount of variations in between. Sarah even found her usual choice of attire; jeans and a poet's blouse. The only difference between that outfit and the one she had at home was the color; the jeans were black, and the blouse was a deep, wine-colored red. Sarah opted to keep the purple cloak that Jareth had given her, with the hopes of returning it someday soon. She also kept the boots, which were amazingly comfortable and warm.

"Are you sure you want to wear this shirt?" asked Sharee, who had her back to Sarah, and was studying the flimsy garment. "It's pretty cold."

"Cold doesn't bother me much when I'm a cougar." Sarah replied, stepping into a clean pair of panties. "It helps to have a built-in fur coat."

"Your animal form's a cougar?" Sharee asked, tossing the blouse over her shoulder for Sarah to catch.

"Yeah. What's yours?"

"A rabbit." Sharee curled her lip. "I don't take animal form very often."

"Why not? A rabbit sounds cute."

"Oh, it is. That's why I don't do it that often. I get tired of people wanting to pet me all the time. They forget that I'm not really a rabbit! Huh…" she laughed softly, "You know, once, when I was little, I got a spanking for biting someone!"

"No way! What'd you bite them for?" Sarah asked, trying not to laugh herself.

Sharee blushed, and laughed harder. "Someone…someone squeezed my tail and went 'beep beep'! So I bit him."

"Well, if it was a man doing it I don't blame you!" Sarah tugged her clothing into place, and sat on the bed. "At least you're not a pony. You know what they'd want then."

"Yeah, but either way I'd still be sick of carrots." Sharee sat down beside her, and offered her a peppermint. "Here, from Aboveground. I love Starlight Mints, don't you?"

"Yeah. The spearmint ones are good too." Sarah said, accepting the mint.

"Really? It comes in spearmint?"

"Yeah…Oh, jeez! Poor Hoggle's still in the bathroom." It had been about ten minutes, and she imagined that he must have been pretty bored by then.

Just then, Hoggle knocked on the door and asked, "Can I come out now?"

"Yeah," Sharee called, "You want a peppermint?"

The door opened, and Hoggle came out. "Huh?"

"A peppermint. You want one?" she repeated.

"No thanks." He put his hands behind his back, and shifted nervously. "Say, um…sorry fer bein' a bit short with ya earlier. I ain't exactly a mornin' person." He said, never mind the fact that morning had been over for a few hours already.

"You and me both." Sharee smiled. "Come on, lets get something to eat."

Hoggle, who had hardly eaten a thing in two days, forgot everything else at the prospect of food.

***

"Good, you're up." Said Allisande, who was stirring a large pot of what they at first took to be oatmeal. "Help yourselves to the toast and honey; this'll be done soon."

"What is it?" asked Hoggle. 

"Never seen grits before?" she quirked a brow.

"Um…no." Hoggle shook his head dubiously.

"It's good." She replied, going back to work. Hoggle looked up at Sarah.

"You ever had that before?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Don't worry, it's nothing like Chinese food." Sarah told him with a smirk. "Hey, there's strawberries too."

"Where'd you get strawberries in the dead of winter?" asked Hoggle, suspiciously eyeing the fruit. After seeing what the peach had done to Sarah, he was wary of conjured food.

"From the Aboveground." Said Allisande, dishing up the grits and putting the bowls on the table. She went to get spoons, and continued, "You'd be surprised what they have available this time of year. I heard they fly most of it in from California and other warm places. That's at the other side of the continent Sarah lives on." She explained before Hoggle could ask what or where California was.

"You go Aboveground an awful lot?" asked Hoggle.

"You'd be surprised. In fact, that's where I got the outfit Sarah's wearing right now. There's only so much to see here, and when you live long enough to see it all several times, life gets a bit boring."

Sharee giggled, and Allisande asked her what was so funny. "Oh," Sharee shook her head, "I was just remembering the time Animal Control shot you in the backside with one of those tranquilizer darts. Bet you weren't bored then."

Allisande gave her the skunk-eye. "I shouldn't have told you about that." she turned to Sarah and Hoggle, and explained, "I only told her that story so she wouldn't be getting herself in trouble there."

"Wait," said Sarah, "How did you manage to get shot in the butt?"

Allisande smirked. "Shut up and eat."

Hoggle was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Sharee whooped and hit the tabletop.

"No, see, what happened was the green sister, Mia, thought it would be funny to stick me Aboveground unable to change back. She put me in the middle of New York frieken' City." Allisande grumbled, biting savagely into a piece of toast. Except for the twinkle in her eye, it was hard to tell that she wasn't really annoyed. 

"Cor." Hoggle shook his head. "At least she didn't dump ya in the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"She's a little smarter than that." Allisande remarked, "She likes a good joke, but I don't think she has a death wish."

"I hope not." Sarah said, "I wouldn't wish the Bog on anyone."

"Amen." Hoggle muttered, munching his toast.

"Now," Allisande sighed, absently stirring her grits, "We should talk about our plans for the day. We have a lot of walking to do, since I can only transport myself. I've never been able to transport a group. Simple fact, all fae powers vary. We'll be traveling in a tight group, no stragglers. Any questions?"

"Where are we going, exactly?" asked Sarah.

"To talk to someone I know. It'd take too long to explain. It's best you just find out."

***

Sarah and Hoggle were upstairs getting their gear, and when Hoggle stooped to pick up his pack, his knife clattered to the floor. Both he and Sarah stared for a moment, and then Hoggle picked it up. "Hardy-har-har." He muttered. "Someone thinks they're funny."

"But I left it behind." Sarah argued, thinking he meant her.

"Not talkin' 'bout _you._ I's talkin' 'bout _them_. They're never gonna quit!" he tossed it on the bed, and went back to getting his things together.

"Are you going to leave it here?" asked Sarah.

"What's the point?" he said bitterly, "They'll just find a way to put it back again. But I…I don't wanna carry it, though. Here," he reached into his vest, and drew out a small leather sheath. "you keep it. I don't think I want it back."

Sarah took it silently, and put the two items in her pack. She realized that he was giving them to her because he didn't trust himself. Sarah could almost feel his anger as it seethed to the surface, and was relieved when it receded back. The relief wasn't complete; she sensed a conflict in him that hadn't been there a week ago. Though the dreams only threatened him at night, he was literally fighting for his life all the time. Sarah felt her breakfast turn into a hard, concrete lump in her belly, and she hoped fervently that he would not lose that battle.

***

"Will anyone stop us?" asked Sarah of Sharee, who had insisted that she be allowed to come along. 

"They'll certainly be suspicious of you and your friend, but I doubt they'd bother with Alley." The young fae replied, dodging a swat from Allisande that, though it was intended to miss, carried the message of her displeasure. The older fae said nothing, however, and they continued on in silence. 

For Sarah, the silence was piercing. Not only were there very few fae on the street, but Hoggle seemed more subdued than usual. Now that she thought of it, his hangdog look and reluctant tread reminded her strongly of how he had looked while working up the nerve to give her the drugged peach. When he caught her looking at him, he shook his head in negation. No, the motion said, nothing's wrong with me. 

Occasionally, Sarah had to widen her stride to keep up with Allisande and Sharee, and Hoggle had no choice but to jog. At their first rest stop, Sarah offered to turn cougar and give him a break, but he shook his head.

"Done lots more walkin' than this in the Labyrinth. You just pay attention to yer task." He told her, feigning indignation, "I kin keep up."

In all fairness, Hoggle was very capable of keeping up. For nearly thirteen hours, not counting the few that Jareth had shaved off the clock for Sarah's insolent remark, or the time he spent sitting in the Oubliette after taking the shortcut so that he could lead her back to the beginning, he had kept up a steady pace. Plus, he hadn't seemed tired as he, Sarah, and the others had celebrated Toby's successful rescue that night. Though not especially strong, dwarves were indeed tougher than they looked. 

Even so, Hoggle had suffered much more on this quest than she had.

***

It was dark by the time they reached their destination. The house was different from many of the other fae dwellings; it reminded Sarah of the house from the book Green Gables, simple, yet practical and cozy. The gabled house had a small front yard with an apple tree that was heavy with fruit, an oddity for this time of year, and perched on one of the lower branches was one of the most magnificent, massive birds of prey Sarah had ever seen. Sarah had never heard of harpy eagles before, but she knew that she would never forget this first sighting of one. The smallest claws on either of its taloned feet were at least as long as her thumb, and razor sharp. The bird seemed to be a bluish-gray, but in the bad light it was hard to tell. On its head was a crest of feathers, not stiff like a cockatoo's crest, but soft and somewhat wispy. The bird seemed to recognize Allisande and Sharee, but it regarded Sarah and Hoggle with mixed curiosity and suspicion. One got the impression that it saved its hostility for when there was a valid reason to employ it.

Allisande motioned for them to stop, and approached the bird. She spoke quietly to it, as if the conversation required extreme privacy. They saw the bird shake its head once, nod twice, shake its head again, nod again, and give a clucking squeal. It fixed Sarah with its amber eyes, and she was unable to look away. The bird nodded once more, decisively, and hopped to the ground with a thump. It was at least an eight foot drop, but the bird showed no signs of having jumped more than two. The bird began to grow, and its feathers melded with its flesh and became clothing. The wings extended into arms, and fingers sprouted beyond the wrist joints. The taloned feet became boots, and before they could blink, a tall fae man was standing before them. The man smiled, and approached Sarah.

"Now much is made clear." He said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. "I am honored to meet the lovely thief who has so cleverly stolen Jareth's heart!"


	20. The Key

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 20

"My name is Gaheris." The fae said, straightening. His eyes flicked briefly towards Hoggle, and his expression was unreadable. The dwarf moved uncomfortably under the scrutiny, but his own eyes were equally expressionless. The set of his jaw indicated determination, however, and told of his refusal to be intimidated any longer. He met the fae's gaze calmly, and grew stock still. He would not…would _not_ allow this fae to back him into a corner. Never again. Gaheris finally nodded his approval; Hoggle had earned his respect. He held out a hand, which the dwarf shook gravely. "Your name, sir?"

"Hoggle. I'm Hoggle." 

"Well met," the fae allowed a smile, and addressed them all as a whole. "Well, now, what is it you wish of me?"

"For beginners," said Allisande, "Why don't you ask us in?"

"Of course. This way, please."

***

When she stepped into the brightly lit house, Sarah finally had a good look at Gaheris. Like Allisande, he was close to middle-age but didn't look it. He wasn't quite as tall as Jareth, but his powerful build and muscular arms and shoulders more than made up for it. In truth, he was closer to Sarah's height than to Jareth's, occupying a sort of half-way point. He had the usual fae characteristics; upswept eyebrows and mis-matched eyes (one amber, the other orange, though the color was so similar that you had to really look to spot the difference). His hair was an odd, bluish gray that resembled new steel; he wore it in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and he was constantly having to brush back his rebellious bangs. He wore gray canvas trousers, which he had tucked into his black, suede boots; above a glinting silver belt buckle, his gray fleece shirt was open almost to the navel, and beneath that was a type of undershirt (Sarah supposed) that seemed to be made out of pure white silk. Over all this, he touched off his odd ensemble with a powder blue coat that reminded Sarah of the Civil War uniforms worn by the North, though without any badges or shoulder pads. The fae people sure had a flair for strange clothing, but he actually made it look good. _"Like someone else I know…"_ Sarah shook her head. Where had that thought come from?

If Gaheris was aware that Sarah was staring at him, he was polite enough not to call attention to it. He stood with one hand resting on the back of a chair while Allisande further explained their reason for coming, his serene face taking in everything and yielding back nothing.

"You see, the real reason we've come is to use your meditation chamber." Allisande told him, and Sarah and Hoggle sat up straight and looked at each other with confusion. This was news to them, but Allisande had told them it was better to find out when they got there…which they had. But what was it all about?

"I see," he said finally, plucking at the brocade with his nails. Unlike Jareth, he wore no gloves. The costly fabric of the chair was already somewhat frayed, and it seemed that he often picked at it in contemplation, or perched on it as an eagle. Either way he had damaged it, but it didn't seem to bother him. His face was clouded, troubled. "Who is to go in?"

"First Hoggle, then Sarah." She replied, "It probably won't take Hoggle very long."

"And why do you feel the need to employ it? I'm sure you realize how dangerous it can be." He was still plucking at the brocade as he said this, but then he seemed to realize what he had been doing. He slapped his palm against it, almost as if giving it an apologetic pat, and turned to face her squarely. "I didn't want to call attention to it, but Sarah's friend seems to be less than stable…"

"Hey!" Hoggle protested indignantly, then he shut his mouth in alarm. Had he crossed the line?

But no, he hadn't. The fae lowered his head and shook it. "I apologize, I know it is rude to mention it in front of your friend and those who are practically strangers; but you must understand the necessity for caution. Yes, it will need to be done, if I understand what Allisande is saying; your heads must be clear, and your hearts must not be heavy. The Chamber has the potential to do that, but it also has the potential to drive you insane. The damage is permanent, do you understand?"

"I don't understand none of it." Hoggle muttered, "But what's it got to do with the dreams and Jareth?"

"I was getting to that. The Chamber makes you confront your demons, and if you can't defeat them they will devastate you in body, mind, and spirit. You could even die, that is how grave this is. Both of you must work with Jareth to end this, and neither of you must have any doubts. You must both decide; is the welfare of the Underground worth your lives?"

Both of them were silent as the three fae awaited their answers. Sarah looked up, and said, "I don't want Jareth to die." That was it. Plain, simple, and direct. It was enough. Gaheris nodded, and looked at Hoggle.

The dwarf looked at Sarah, and back at Gaheris. "I'll helps 'er. But what's my position in all this? I thought it was between the two of _them_."

"Not anymore." Gaheris told him. "I see something in you, around you. You've been touched by the dreams like no other. They seem to be drawn to you. I'm willing to wager that you saw things you dare not reveal even to Sarah. Things that might or might not have happened, but made to look a thousand times worse than they had been, or could have been."

Hoggle paled. How could this fae know him so well? 

"Moreover, some of the dreams are _inside _you, right now, as we speak. I can see them curling around you like smoke, since my greatest ability is the Sight. They have power over your thoughts, and at times they can control your actions."

Hoggle shook his head, his eyes on the floor, his face fixed in a mask of horror. _Inside _him! The dreams were _inside_ him! It was unthinkable, inconceivable that he could be violated so. His stomach churned lazily as he struggled to digest this thought. This was…why, it was _rape!_ "Oh, God…" he rubbed his forehead, and drew a deep breath when he became aware that he had forgotten to breathe. This was why he couldn't block those terrible thoughts of suicide, why he couldn't control his emotions. It had to be! Before this whole damned thing had started, he was…Well, he was certainly no Mr. Cheerful, but he was at least master of himself. But now…every doubt, every bad feeling was being magnified to the point where he simply had no choice; he just _had_ to let go. He was at their mercy; he was their slave… 

"_No!_" his mind screamed, and his body jolted once with the force of it. He sighed again, and seemed to realize that he had been zoning out. Looking up, he saw the fae watching him patiently, and Sarah looking at him with concern. He cleared his throat. "Well…what do I have to do?"

"At the moment, this is unclear. I believe that you might actually be the key to stopping the dreams forever. The dreams are drawn to you, and you seem to be a catalyst of some sort. Perhaps the Chamber will return you to yourself and give you the power to draw them at will…or, perhaps, it will kill you. This is up to you, Hoggle. Not me, not Sarah, not Jareth or the dreams, but _you._

"I'll do it." He said immediately, surprising them all.

"You are sure? You don't need to think about it?" asked Gaheris.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I promised Sarah…and anything's better'n this. I can't live like this no more. If this's the only way…I'd say it's damn-well worth it."

***

After a small, hurried meal of chicken soup and crackers, Gaheris led them up two flights of stairs to what would have been an attic in any other house. He wouldn't explain how the chamber had been crafted and infused with magic, or why, saying that a man needed at least _one_ well-guarded secret to sustain him in a world full of nosy-parkers. He said all this with a wry grin, but he was adamant in his refusal to tell them. 

As they went down a long hallway to the door of the Chamber, Sarah imagined that they resembled the four friends in 'The Wizard of Oz' on their way to meet the great fraud himself, even though there were five of them. She felt the terror suddenly well up as she realized what might happen. This could be the last time she ever saw her best friend alive. Gaheris was giving Hoggle instructions of some sort, but she didn't hear them; her eyes were fixed on Hoggle, where he stood looking up at the fae. Now more than ever, he resembled a lost little boy. His face was filled with quiet fear, but also something else…somewhere deep inside him resided a tiny spark of courage, waiting to be kindled. 

She saw him nod one final time, and turn to face the door as Gaheris moved to open it. Her eyes filled with tears, and she stepped forward and called out, "Hoggle!"

The dwarf stopped and turned around as Sarah dropped to one knee and pulled him close. "I love you!" She whispered as he returned the embrace awkwardly. Her heart belonged to Jareth, but Hoggle had a special place in it, too. He gently pulled away, and turned back to the door. 

"I'll be back."

***

Sarah sat with Sharee in the living room as the two adults waited outside the Chamber. Sharee had kept silent for a time, feeling as if anything she said would be like trespassing on sacred ground. She didn't particularly understand Sarah's friendship with the dwarf, but she couldn't help but respect it. She hadn't really cared to mix with the dwarves, though she didn't mind humans, and she was surprised to see how very human he seemed in all but appearance. Humans being fae-like, dwarves being human-like…it was all very confusing to a young fae! If they were all so alike, why did they keep to themselves? She liked Sarah, and saw that, given time to get to know him, she could like Hoggle just as well. So she was subdued at the prospect of seeing this man die. 

If he died, they might not be able to win. What a strange idea! A dwarf having that sort of power. Oddly enough, Jareth had actually _given_ him that power, simply by disliking him! Simply by wishing pain on him. It was a sobering idea. By hurting others, you can actually give them as much power as you take away…either that, or they receive it automatically. Revenge. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…

But Hoggle didn't want revenge; he just wanted to be left alone to live his life. That was different, but he was still the key. Whether he wanted it or not, he had the potential for power. He just _might _be able to tame the dreams and hold them in one place, whether that place be in him or near him. He just might…but first he had to learn how, and he had to find strength. Even Sharee could see the strength hidden in him; it was not great, and it was not remarkable, but hopefully…hopefully it would be enough. A man needed strength sometimes, if only for his morale. Hopefully he would find that strength in the Chamber.

Sarah turned her gaze to the staircase, and Sharee put a hand on her arm. "You can trust Gaheris. If your friend had no chance, he wouldn't have even let him try."

"I hope you're right." 

"Sure I am." She pushed back her brown hair, and smiled. "Gaheris is almost family, you know."

Sarah thought she was hinting at something, and asked, "Almost family?"

"Oh, aye. He and Allisande are engaged to be married. It's an arranged marriage, but fortunately for _him_, she's sweet on 'im. I think he fancies _her_, too. They're not head-over-heels in love yet, but the potential is there. So, you see, we've had time to get to know him. If he says there's a chance, then there's a chance."

"But if he doesn't make it…"

"He will." Sharee said firmly, "Have faith in him. And remember; when he comes out, he'll have to wait for you, too. He'll have the same doubts."

***

The door closed behind Hoggle, and he jumped involuntarily. He looked over his shoulder, and then up at the ceiling. Casting his eyes over the large room, he was almost surprised to see that it wasn't anything more glamorous than an old attic. That's what it seemed like; just a room. He didn't relax, though. Gaheris had warned him that that was how it would appear, and he guessed that here, as well as in the Labyrinth, things weren't always what they seemed. He would not take _this _room for granted.

He licked his lips with a parched tongue, making a soft rasping sound that was not unlike that of someone crinkling a wad of paper. Biting the tip of his tongue to coax a bit of moisture into his mouth, he stepped forward and thought over what Gaheris had told him. "_Find a place to sit down, and try to relax. It won't take long for something to happen, and there isn't much more you have to do to get things started. You'll know that it's started when the door disappears. After that, I can't tell you what will happen; it's different for everyone. When it's over, the room will allow you to leave. I pray you find success…_"

"Well…here goes nuthin'…" he sighed, heading for a whitish lump that in reality was an armchair covered in a canvas tarp. He considered removing the tarp, but he was hesitant about disturbing anything. Instead of removing the dusty cloth, he simply brushed it off and vaulted himself into the middle of it. Springs creaked, but didn't bounce back. This was an old chair, and Hoggle winced and squirmed as the springs pushed through the failing stuffing and against the fabric; he quickly gave up, and accepted the fact that he'd have to live with a sore bum for a while. He sat with his thighs locked, not trusting the more sensitive parts of his anatomy to the treacherous springs. Eyes fixed on the door, he waited.

Hoggle sat like this for five minutes without blinking, and his eyes soon became sore and caused him to blink. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that the door was gone. His heart began to pound, and a greasy sheen of sweat broke on his brow. This was it!

He abandoned the chair, and stood nervously in the center of the room…which wasn't exactly a room anymore. Around the place where he stood, he could barely see the walls, which had become like brown seran wrap. When he walked, he carried the room with him. When he stopped, the room stopped. A gray fog swirled about his feet and over his head, turning red in places and then going gray again, giving him the uneasy feeling that he was inside a malevolent egg.

"What's goin' on?" he muttered, and although he didn't expect an answer he got one.

" Well, frankly son, we're in yer head."

Hoggle whipped around and saw that he stood face to face with his father. His _father_. Hoggle stood in silence, regarding the old man coldly, as if he had never seen him before.

"You…you recognize me, don't ya?" the dwarf asked.

Hoggle nodded once, and grunted. "Yeah, I _recognize_ you. What're you doing in my head?"

The old man looked down at his feet, and sighed. "It's a long story, son. Maybe I'm not the best one fer you ta talk to. Frankly, I don't knows where to begin." He turned away, and disappeared into the mists. Hoggle let him go. He turned his back on where his father had been standing, and froze. His mother was there, too.

"Mum?" he whispered, believing her to be just another dream, but wanting her to be real, "Mama?"

The woman smiled at him, and started forward. He backed up, and shook his head. "You can't be her…she's dead…"

"Hoggle…it's really _me._"

"But…" he stopped speaking, and just stared at her. She stood calmly in front of him, and waited. Finally, he found his voice and said, "A memory, maybe." Oddly enough, he wasn't crying. A strange sort of calm settled on him, and for the first time in days, he felt _safe_. "How?" he asked.

Her face lit up as she smiled again, a face that was much younger than his own, though the spirit was several years his senior. "I never left, Hoggle. Part of me stayed behind. I couldn't leave my boy."

Hoggle's heart lurched. He stepped forward, and hesitated. "Can I…" 

"Of course!" she laughed, and he put his arms around her, inadvertently breathing in the scent that identified her as _Mother._ That was all the proof he needed. He trembled, overwhelmed.

"Mum! I…I don't know what to say! I never thought I'd see you again. You still looks the same!"

"And you! You had to grow up so fast…my little boy…it's so hard to believe, yer a man now!" she laughed, tugging briefly at his white hair. "Though…" she grew more serious, "You do look older than I expected ya to."

Hoggle smirked. "You call me 'Grampa,' and I'm leavin'!" 

They laughed again, and she took his hand and began to walk. "Where we goin'?" he asked.

"Wherever your mind takes us." She said solemnly, "I'm here ta keep you sane."


	21. The Chamber

Vengeful Nightmares

(Author's note; Chapter 21 and about half of Chapter 22 will be revolving around Hoggle and his time in the Meditation Chamber. For those of you who want to hear more about Sarah and Jareth, just hang in there! It's all coming soon.)

Chapter 21

"Do you hear something?" asked Allisande, who noticed that Gaheris had turned suddenly to face the door. He motioned for her to be silent, then sucked thoughtfully at his teeth.

"No. It's begun, though." He said quietly. He had felt the aura around the door shift and deepen, and he had been attempting to gauge how intense this 'session' would be. The Chamber was created so that the fae people could hone their magic skills, but now a dwarf who had no magic at all and a human who had the powers of a fae, but not the knowledge of how to use those powers, would use it.

"You don't sound very confident."

"Well…I don't suppose I do…" he shrugged. "Having the dreams inside of him lowers his chances of making it out alive and sane. You really should have had Sarah go first, or rather, instead."

"Maybe I should have flipped a Guilder," she returned sarcastically, "It was not an easy choice to make, Gaheris; we need _both_ of them, and we need them both to be freed of anything that might keep them from their objective. It wouldn't have mattered if Sarah went first; he would still have to go."

Gaheris turned away from the door, and faced his intended. "You are positive this is necessary?"

"I am. If it's successful, they will be better equipped to deal with what might be coming."

"Which is…" he trailed off.

"Well, Hoggle will draw the dreams, and Jareth and Sarah will work together to contain them…I hope."

"You hope!"

"Yes, I hope! They can't do these things with out know-how, and this is not something you or I could teach them! And don't say we could teach Sarah; it would take too long. Jareth would be long dead, and the dreams would be even more unmanageable then."

Gaheris sighed. "Aye…and Hoggle will no longer be able to draw them, if Jareth dies. Damn, but he's spoiled! Must the entire Underground suffer for his wounded pride!" he sat down, and sighed again. "What a damnable mess."

"Aye…" she sat down beside him, and took his hand. "Aye, that it is."

***

It was just as he had remembered it…the flowers, the coffin, the weeping relatives. Clasped in his mother's cold, lifeless hands was a bouquet of pink sweetheart roses; her favorite flowers. His father, who was like a zombie for the entire duration of the funeral, had spared no expense. The coffin was no simple wooden box, but a lavish mahogany casket lined with beige silk. 

"What's it about this time that brought ya here?" asked his mother.

"Well…" he shook his head, not wanting to speak just yet. She let go of his hand, and urged him forward with a gentle shove. He looked back at her, then walked slowly over to his younger self. A four-year-old boy. He saw his own face looking back at him, and the haunted bleakness of it made him catch his breath. On impulse he reached out to touch the boy's shoulder, but his hand came in contact with nothing. The boy wasn't really there. _None _of it was really there. The scene melted like wax. "Uh!" he gasped, falling back. "That…that was _me_." he whispered. A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he gave such a start that it was jarred free. The hand came back firmly, and his mother's face appeared in front of his own.

"What brought ya here?" she asked again.

"I don't know." he shook his head. "Was it _them?_"

" 'Them?' You mean the dreams?" she asked.

"You knows 'bout the dreams?"

"O'course I do," she told him, as if it were common knowledge. "I've always been with ya, so I knew when they started in on ya, even though I couldn't stop 'em. But it wasn't the dreams, Hoggle. _You_ brought us here, so deep down you must know why."

The scene appeared again, and Hoggle stared at his younger self, unable to tear his eyes away from the apathetic little boy. Then he looked up at the figure of his father, who was weeping silently. Then back at the boy. Then he knew.

"I…I didn't cry at yer funeral." He said in the smallest whisper, unable to meet his mother's gaze. The shame of it was heavy…so heavy; what kind of son doesn't mourn the death of his mother?

Lita put a finger under his chin and turned his head to make him look at her, but he shut his eyes. "Hoggle…look at me."

He shook his head and tried to turn it away, but she prevented this by grabbing his shoulders and moving to stay in front of him. She put a hand on either side of his face. "It's all right. Open your eyes. Please?"

He did. He forced himself to look because she had asked it, and he saw nothing in his mother's eyes but love. She smiled. He winced, and lowered his head. "Mum, please…"

"You done nuthin' wrong. I didn't cry at my mother's funeral, either. I was too stunned to cry. D'ya know how it happened? No, wait, of course you don't…you were to young ta be told." she tapped her palm to her forehead, smiling at her own absent-mindedness. 

Hoggle waited for her to tell him, but she had stopped talking. "How'd it happen?" he asked.

"Oh…Well, she died havin' yer uncle. See, she had an accident, and the babe came too early. She…well, I don't know if I should be tellin' you this, but…she bled to death afterwards. Both she and the babe, buried on the same day."

"What was…" he began, then closed his mouth. He knew his time with her was limited, and he didn't want to waste it by calling forth bad memories.

"It's all right, you kin ask."

He sighed. "What was 'is name?"

"My father didn't name him." She said, and for the first time he heard a slight note of anger. He turned and looked at his younger self one last time before she took his hand and led him away. 

***

Hoggle and Lita stood in silence as scene after scene played out in front of them. Every blow and harsh word that was remembered was brought mercilessly to life, and Hoggle's heart pounded faster and faster. They saw his father punch him in the back, and Hoggle remembered that there had been blood when he visited the privy for about a week afterwards; he fought the foolish impulse to cover his mother's eyes to keep her from seeing, and his cheeks flared crimson with humiliation and anger. Sure, she had changed his diapers and all, but this was different. He was ten years old there, and, well…_this_ _was different!_ When he looked over at her, he saw that she was tight-lipped and grim. She was angry, and rightly so.

"I hates 'im!" the boy was whispering fervently as he painfully relieved himself, "I don' care, I _hates 'im!_"

The first day the blood had appeared, he had panicked. He didn't dare run screaming into the house; instead, he fell to the floor and sat with his back to the privy door, muffling his cries with his hands. "_He's…he's kilt me, I…I'm dyin', I'm…_"

"Enough, damn it, _enough!_" Hoggle shouted out loud to no one. When he tried to turn away the image followed, and he finally stood there panting and trembling with rage. His father never knew about the blood. He had kept it to himself, and his father had boxed his ear for hogging the privy that morning. And really, if he had told him he wouldn't have been believed, and he would have been too embarrassed to prove it. He had hidden under the porch for the rest of the day, and that became his hiding spot for when there was trouble. Which there frequently was. Until the day when he would leave that house for good, Hoggle was terrified of his father.

Sometimes his father woke him up in the middle of the night and made him drink with him. Hoggle's first sip of whiskey had made him vomit, and his father had beaten him black and blue before making him clean it up. Every time after that, he drank his whiskey and watched his father like a wary puppy. He was frequently drunk, and even when he woke up with the sick headaches that come with drinking, his father made him work. On those mornings, he frequently gave his breakfast (which his father made him cook for the both of them) to the garden.

"Stop it…" he whispered. Then he gaped as the scene began to change drastically from what he had remembered. He saw his father come out of the house, something that hadn't happened that day. His father had something hidden behind his back, and when the younger Hoggle looked up as the older Hoggle looked on, he held it out. His hands were tangled in a mass of auburn hair, and dangling from that hair was a head; his mother's head, dripping crimson blood onto one of the cabbage plants. The younger Hoggle just stared, but the older Hoggle could feel himself beginning to panic; his breath was coming quicker now, and his heart was in his gullet.

"You know, boy, I killed yer mother…I could just as easily kill you!"

"What do you want me to do, Daddy?" asked the little boy.

The nightmare pulled out a shot glass, and drizzled his mother's blood into it. "Drink."

The child drank.

"No!" the older Hoggle yelled, clutching his head and shaking it wildly from side to side. "Yer not real, yer not _real_, _yer not_…" He started forward, hands extended to grab the glass, and the nightmare that was his father turned and leered at him. This was what it wanted. It was no longer on _his_ playing field; this was _their_ realm, the dungeons of the mind.

"Hoggle! Hoggle, stop!" His mother caught and held him with preternatural strength, and pinned his arms to his sides. She lowered him to his knees and held him as he fought to get free, fought so that he could knock the shot glass from the child's dirty, blood-stained hands. Then, abruptly, the fight left him and he went completely slack. His eyes closed as his head rested on his mother's shoulder, and he almost seemed to be sleeping, except for the fact that he was out of breath.

"Shhh, it's all right, sweetie." She crooned, "It's all right. That never happened, and you an' I both know it. Now, calm down. Just calm down."

He stayed there for a while, then he swallowed hard and pulled back. He was dry-eyed with shock, and he shook with a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature, which was admittedly cold.

"Hoggle, listen to me. That was to try ta discourage ya. They want you ta be ruined, because then you and yer friend have no chance of stopping them. You can't let them do this, ya hear me? You can't—let them—do this." She told him, looking at him more sternly than his father ever had. He was suddenly ashamed of his lack of control, and he vowed to himself that he wouldn't let it happen again. He looked away, and his eyes grew wide.

"Hey, somethin's happenin' again." He pointed, and they stood up to watch.

Molger sat in a drunken sleep at the kitchen table, unaware of what his son was doing. Hoggle was tip-toeing across the kitchen floor with a burlap sack in his hand. At thirteen he had been heartbreakingly skinny, and his little feet made almost no noise at all as he made for the pantry. He stole a box of matches and several candles, and stuffed them and about a pound of jerky into his 'pack'. He also took a small loaf of bread, putting half of it in on top of the jerky and wolfing the rest down. Then he went upstairs and raided his father's money box. Oh, he didn't take it _all_; money was easy enough to come by if one could work, and Hoggle had certainly done a lot of working in his short lifetime. He was sure he could find _something_ to do. He only took a handful of Guilders and a large, uncut sapphire. Surely he could find a place to sell that!

As Hoggle watched this scene play, he fought with his guilt and told his mother what he had told himself back then. "I did it so's he wouldn't kill me. He came close a few times. I did it so's I could _live._"

She only nodded, and he mistook her silence for condemnation. It was stealing, after all, and from his father, no less. In his hometown, things were so damned rigid that his motives would not matter. He had still stolen from his father. "Will you please _say_ something?" he asked quietly, "Even if you bawl me out, say _something._"

His mother didn't seem to have heard him; she was watching his younger self make the final preparations for the journey ahead. Hoggle shook his head, stricken by his mother's reaction. "_Please, don't let her hate me for this! I knows what our people is like, but she…she was different, wasn't she?_" he thought frantically.

"Mum…" he whispered, his voice breaking.

She finally looked at him, and he saw that her face was damp; it looked disturbingly like the face that he had seen inside that coffin all those years ago. "I almost left him, you know." she told him slowly, "What stopped me was…well, I was carryin' you inside my belly, and I was afeared. I was scared to raise my baby alone, so I stayed. I thought I'd be givin' you a better life…By God, I was so wrong! He's diff'rent, now's he's dead, but I still shoulda left him."

"But…I thought you…" he cleared his throat, and asked, "Did you love 'im?"

"At first. He was always a heavy drinker, but I didn't _see _back then. I blocked it out."

"And…do you still live him?" he asked.

She nodded. "Not the same way I loved 'im when we got married. The man I fell in love with didn't really exist, but the man I know now… He realizes what he done, and he's sorry."

"He's sorry." Hoggle said flatly. "Well, that's nice to know! 'Sorry' ain't gonna make it all right, just like that."

"I know. He knows it, too. That's why he had me come with you, instead of both of us comin'. He ain't askin' for you ta forgive him…But I wish you would, Hoggle."

"Why should I? Mama, he _killed_ you! He…he took you away, and I had to grow up without ya. He didn't even remember it, and the whole town thought you fell 'cause you were too stupid an' clumsy to watch where you was goin', and that's horse puckey! Others said that you killed yourself on purpose! And he got away with it, damn 'im! He got _away_ with it!" 

"I want you to forgive him because of what this hatred's doin' to ya." she told him calmly when he stopped for breath. "Did you notice that most of yer dreams are 'bout him? The dreams are usin' all yer anger and hatred against you. You has to let go of it, Hoggle. Let go of it."

"Mum, I can't!" he threw up his hands, "Don't you think I've _tried?_"

"All I know is that it's makin' you miserable. Sarah done her best ta help ya, and I can't do much more than she has. That poor girl's shoulder musta been soaked. Now, don't turn away, son. It's nothin' ta be embarrassed for."

"That's what she said."

"Well, she's right." Lita told him, "Yer bein' played with, Hoggle, plain and simple. Them dreams are hittin' ya with all they got, an' they make you feel everythin' five times as hard as you should. Ain't yer fault at all."

"Yeah, but…Cor, it's so _embarrassing!_ I…I bawled like an infant, not once, but…I don't even know how many times! And…well, I'm not bawlin' now, but outside this whatever-it-is room I would be. I don't even know why that is, but I think it's got somethin' ta do with you."

"Sure, didn't I tell ya I was here to keep ya sane? That also means in control. Right now, yer actin' almost like you normally would. Almost; they can still touch you here." She waved her hand, and Hoggle knew what she meant.

Another image appeared, and time had jumped ahead. Hoggle saw himself pass out in Sarah's arms, and he saw her panicked expression. Then he gawked stupidly as she picked him up like a child and hurried on in roughly the same direction he had pointed out that day. His heart pounded at how helpless he had been, and how easily she could have left him behind. It was an uncharitable thought, but it flashed quickly in and out of his mind just the same. He saw her carry him to Jarjuk's village, and he saw how carefully she tended to him while he was in the grips of the terrible fever. She had saved his life. He hadn't even known how close he had been to death; he had thought the worst had been throwing up in front of her that day, but he had been wrong. His cheeks reddened when he saw himself begin to cry in his sleep, and she took him on her lap and rocked him. That was the last thing she had tried and the only thing that worked. 

"Am I like a li'l kid to her?" he murmured to himself, and his mother heard him and smiled.

"Of course not. I just think she didn't know what else ta do. That was the best thing she coulda done at the time, anyway. She cares for ya too much to embarrass you on purpose."

"She cares too much anyway." He replied, folding his arms and frowning as he saw that she had been crying right along with him.

"What are you talkin' 'bout?" she frowned back at him.

"Well…I didn't know about that," he indicated her tears, "but I had 'er cryin' another time 'cause I couldn't control myself. I'm s'pose to be helpin' her, but the whole time it's been the other way 'round. I wouldn'a had the kinda patience she had, and…well, I always bungle it when I tries ta help her like she helped me. Last night I made such a complete _ass_ outta myself, and she was…damn, she was so _nice_ about it! If I was her, I woulda slapped me in the face."  
"Cor, that's garbage. That fae you were just talkin' to told ya that the dreams kin control yer actions to a point. I knows he's tellin' ya true, because I seed 'em do it to ya. I kin see 'em, though I can't do nuthin' 'bout 'em. They hit ya where ya live, and they take away yer self-control." She sighed, touching her son's cheek. "Oh, my boy, how I wanted ta reach out an' comfort ya, but I couldn't! You wouldna seen or heard me, and I wouldna been able ta touch ya. Far as I'm concerned, Sarah done the right thing. An' if she cares too much, so what? She saved me boy's _life_." She gripped his shoulders affectionately, and turned away to let him digest this.

***

Time had jumped back again. Hoggle had been renting out his skills as a gardener to whoever was willing to pay him. He also did some odd jobs on the side; he worked as a delivery boy every now and then, but he was really too small to get there fast enough to suit people. He also worked as a thief for a while, but he gave it up at fifteen due to an 'unfortunate retaliation' that left him with three cracked ribs and a permanently ruined knee. 

In the years that followed, he grew so mistrustful of people that they eventually decided he wasn't worth their trouble. And, he reflected, back in those days he wasn't. By the time he should have been thinking about finding a wife, he was too skittish around other people, girls especially, to even try. His mind and his fears won out, and he never married. He was pushing away his chances, which were few, with both hands and with a vengeance. 

Later on, when he had been working for Jareth for some time, he began to relax a bit. However bad Jareth treated him, contact with the Goblin King was always brief; for the first time in his life, Hoggle had a place where he could feel somewhat secure, and he had a steady job that paid better than his previous jobs. He tended the Hedge Maze section of the Labyrinth, and he also took care of the climbing plants that lined the walls around the gate. He soon got over any qualms he had about killing fairies; he had dozed off one morning by the gate, and had woken up covered in stinging purple welts, a gift from the little pests.

By the time Sarah had come to tackle the Labyrinth, he still avoided people like the plague but he was no longer afraid of them. If anything, he was so standoffish that he seemed to be daring her. As Hoggle watched himself badger the girl into snapping at him, he was both amused and disgusted by his behavior. A mirror had been held up in front of him, and he wasn't sure he liked what he saw. Still, he had changed since then.

"Shame on ya, lad!" Lita said with a smile, having noticed how uncomfortable he looked.

"Aw, come on!" he crossed his arms. "We still became friends, didn't we?"

"Hmm…'bout time you had a friend. I'd say it's long overdue. I noticed this one don't bother ya as much as the other ones did." She said, referring to the scene that they had just seen.

"Well, I ain't like I was back then. Well," he amended, "not completely."

Lita's form began to waver, and he couldn't make out her reply. She faded in and out once, then blinked out completely as he stared in disbelief. "Mum!" he called, his voice bouncing mockingly back at him as if from unseen walls.

"Mum! You all right?" he hurried forward, but she was gone. "Mu—oh, _great!_"

Abruptly he found himself in the dark, and before he could utter another syllable, cold hands seized him from behind and knocked him senseless.


	22. A Sudden Breakthrough

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 22

The first thing Hoggle noticed when he came to was that it was deathly cold. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't in any real physical pain. He felt something _like_ pain, but it was more like the feeling of a remembered injury; if you call to mind the pain of a broken bone, a trace of that old pain surfaces. This was what it was like. He remembered being hit in the head, but since it hadn't happened to his physical body he only felt a fleeting throb, and then nothing at all. But what had happened to his mother? 

**"What does it matter? She's already dead, is she not?"** whispered a bodiless voice.

Hoggle gritted his teeth, and bit back a curse. The owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. "Don't you bastards ever _quit?_" he shouted.

Laughter caressed his face like a hand, and his blood ran cold when it was made clear to him how very close the owner of that voice really was. **"We do not. We can't afford to, my friend. Like the old cow said, you're a danger to us."**

Hoggle clenched his fists, and ground out, "Don't call 'er that!"

**"Why not?"** More laughter.

"Just don't! Where is she!"

The darkness began to coalesce into a roughly human shape, which knelt down in front of him. It had no face, no features whatsoever, and it seemed to be neither male nor female. He tried to strike out at it, but his hands wouldn't move. When he looked down to see why, he saw that his hands as well as his feet were strapped to an invisible floor. The straps were made of the same 'substance' as the nightmare creature, and though he struggled, he couldn't move at all.

**"Naughty, naughty." **The thing chuckled, waving a long, tapered black finger in his face. **"I suggest that you relax. I don't think you'll be going anywhere for some time."**

"Don't bet on it," Hoggle muttered, spitting at it. The spittle passed right through the creature, but it brought on a reaction just the same. Hoggle screamed in pain as the straps sent pulsing waves of cold through his body…his _real_, physical body. He had never received an electric shock, but the effects were similar. His body twisted and jerked involuntarily, then stopped as the pain receded. 

**"Don't do that again," **the thing told him coldly.

"You…" he gasped as his heart left its normal rhythm and returned just as quickly. He tried again, "You can't kill me. I was told…"

**"But we can keep you here until you die. In this room your mind and body take quite a beating, and if you remain in it past your safest time…"** it shrugged, and Hoggle imagined that it was grinning at him. **"Believe me, it won't take long!"**

"And how would you know that?" Hoggle asked sourly, straining to get a better look at his surroundings. There wasn't much to see; the fog that constantly swirled around them wasn't much lighter in color than the creature, and it was obscuring whatever else might be nearby. 

**"I picked it out of Gaheris's mind. A wise one, Gaheris…he didn't even try to block us. He knew it would be useless. This room, Hoggle, is powered by the life energy of the person using it…in this case, by _you._"**

The dwarf swallowed hard, willing himself not to panic. Though it was cold logic, the nightmares couldn't hurt his mother because…well, because she was dead. It made perfect sense to him that he had been closed off from _her_, not the other way around. She wouldn't be able to reach him, not in her present state. But could he reach her?

**"Fantasize all you want."** The creature seemed amused, and was idly fingering the straps that bound his left foot. **"But there is no way you can reach her." **

Hoggle wondered if that was true. If she could have reached him, she would have appeared by now. If he was tied down, how could he reach her? Or, more importantly, how could he break out of this trance, or whatever it was that held him in place? He wasn't so callous as to abandon his mother in favor of himself, but if he still had a chance, wouldn't she want him to take it?

The creature was watching him quietly, waiting…

_"Waiting for me to die…"_ he thought, and shivered as the creature murmured an affirmative, nodding its ebony head. So it could read his mind. Big surprise. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He had to think quickly. He could feel himself growing weaker, as if he were slowly losing large quantities of blood. This room was sucking him dry. He tried the straps again, but this only earned him another shock. What was this danger he posed to them, anyway?

**"With every step closer to your objective, you gain the potential to end our lives."** The thing told him, confident that Hoggle would stay put and that it was safe to talk freely.

"What ya mean 'our lives'?" Hoggle asked, "I only see one of ya."

**"What makes you think there is only one entity before you? This isn't even what we look like…in fact, we don't really look like much of anything without the minds that shape us. This body is what you expect it to be. Dark and scary, faceless as the side of a barn. You expect the darkness of mystery, so that is what has appeared." **it chuckled, **"We were born of one creature's bruised heart. All of us from one man…and he wants to rule us as if we were his minions!"**

"Well, aren't ya?" Hoggle shook his head, genuinely bemused. The creature smacked him in the mouth, and the blow stunned him into silence.

**"Mind your tongue, filth! We answer to no one! When he lost control of his power he lost control of us, and we will not be recalled on a whim! And why continue on this quest to stop us?"** it asked him, its voice taking on a wheedling tone. **"You joined that girl not only out of friendship, but out of fear. She was your security blanket. What if you didn't need her for that? Supposing we left you alone? Supposing we agreed to pass you over if you dropped out of the mission altogether."**

"Huh?" Hoggle blinked, staring up at it. This was something else again; a last-ditch effort on the part of the nightmares to turn the tides in their favor. He recognized it for what it was, but of course he was still tempted. He had literally been tortured for weeks, and all because the nightmares had this nagging little hunch about his being a danger. Well, not in the beginning; Jareth had wanted his revenge, so of course they would have singled him out somewhat. But not like this, not if Jareth's powers hadn't gone haywire and if Hoggle hadn't actually become a danger as a result. Somehow, Jareth's magic had touched him enough so that he had some power over the dreams. The trouble was, he didn't know how to use that power. That, Hoggle realized, was an event the nightmares were intent on preventing; they couldn't risk letting him learn. And even if Hoggle did drop out of the mission, as the nightmares put it, Sarah would not. Then they would concentrate on her. Hoggle clenched his teeth. He didn't want to go through this anymore; he felt that his sanity was hanging by a thread, and if it went on much longer that thread would snap. But Sarah…he just couldn't leave Sarah. He had already betrayed her once by giving her the drugged peach, and he had felt terrible afterwards. This would be worse; deep down, Hoggle had known that the peach wouldn't kill her. But if Sarah faced the dreams alone, who knows what might happen to her…She had done too much for him. He couldn't do it.

"No…" Hoggle whispered.

**"What was that? Speak up!"**

"Forget it!" he barked, turning his head away.

**"Then you will die."** It told him, also turning away. 

Hoggle didn't bother to look up. He was running out of time, and at the moment dying didn't seem too bad. At least…

_"At least I'll see Mum again…I'll be with her again…"_ he thought as he felt his limbs begin to stiffen and grow colder.

The nightmare snorted. **"Don't bet on it. We'll send you both to Hell, and they keep you separate there. No family. No friends. Complete isolation, and eternal torment."**

Hoggle snickered, and before long that snicker had turned into a full-blown guffaw. He couldn't help it; his nerves were stretched taut enough to strum, and the absurdity the creature's statement just struck him as funny; how could they send his mother to Hell? Even _they_ didn't have the power to do that! They must really be desperate! The straps tightened, but he just couldn't stop. It occurred to him that he was approaching hysteria, but that only made him laugh harder. Tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes and his gut began to cramp, but he simply could not stop.

**"Something amuses you, little slug?"** the thing mocked, grasping him by his shirt-front. 

He choked and coughed a little, and his laughter had been reduced to a quiet chortle. "I'll say. The idea of 'er goin' to Hell, and you s-sendin' her there! If that ain't the biggest load of _crap_ I ever heard!" he shrieked, and the strap that bound his right ankle disappeared. The nightmare did a double-take, and stared with what would have been wide-eyed, slack-jawed amazement…_would_ have been, if it had actually _had_ eyes and a jaw! The thought of it set him off again, and the shadow turned and punched him squarely in the jaw; the blow hit its mark, but it did no damage. It looked dumbly at its fist.

**"So…you want to know will _really_ happen to your mother?"** the thing asked him when he had stopped laughing and was staring at it. Its tone of voice seemed almost kindly.

Hoggle frowned back at it, suddenly remembering what it was that was addressing him. Then he smirked defiantly, and replied, "Like I can trust _you_ not to lie ta me."

The creature showed him image after horrible image, and the bonds clamped back around his right ankle. His eyes filled with involuntary tears, and he began to struggle again. _"Yeah, let's see some tears!"_ his father's voice danced through his mind, and he gritted his teeth. No! They would not do this to him again! They would _not!_ These things were _liars!_ Why should he take any of it seriously? They were fighting for their lives and would resort to anything they could, but they _could not kill_. If they could not bring death, how could they hope to manipulate the dead? They were lying to save themselves, and mixing lies with the truth! Hoggle could understand that; he had done it many times himself! _"No, no! I was takin' her back to the _beginning_, yer Majesty!"_

The dreams that terrorized others were cowards _themselves_, hiding behind a cloud of truths, half-truths and outright lies. It wasn't like this before Jareth removed their ability to kill; back then they had nothing to fear from the creatures they went after. Now things were different, and they counted on the fear of others to live. The real danger of them was what they could find to use inside a person's head; they merely picked up the tools and materials that were lying around, and put them to use. He smiled. The real danger was himself, not the dreams. If he listened to them, he could bring ruin to himself. If he didn't, they would have no reason to bother him. Sarah was right…he should just _ignore_ them.

The bonds around his wrists and ankles disappeared, and he rose up to face the nightmare. Was it just him, or was the shadowy figure smaller than it had appeared before?

**"What are you doing? How did you do that?" **the shadow demanded, pulling itself up and trying to look imposing. Hoggle still felt a tremor of fear at the sight of it, but he suppressed it. He figured he must have been on to something if just by thinking he was able to undo the straps.

"Go away." Hoggle told it in such a calm, flat voice that he had to wonder if it was really him.

**"What!"**

"Go!" he raised his voice and took a step forward. "You got no place in here. My mind, my body, mine alone! Not yours. So get out."

**"You…"**

"OUT!" 

"_Yer just dreams…act like dreams…and disappear…_" the memory seemed to propel the creature back, as if it had been more than a thought.

**"What…"** it sputtered, its voice seeming to come from far away.

"You heard me…_OUT!_"

The shadow wavered, and winked out like a candle flame. Hoggle stood staring at the spot the creature had just vacated, awash in a mix of wonder and satisfaction. He had done this. _He, Hoggle,_ had done this. He smiled, folded his arms, and considered what he should do next.

***

"Hoggle!"

The dwarf turned around just in time to absorb the force of the hug his mother was giving him. He blinked a few times, working his mouth like that of a fish on land, then returned the embrace with an astonished laugh.

"I thought that was it, when they took ya!" she was saying, "How'd you do it?"

"I…I'm not sure. I guess, if ya jus' treat 'em like dreams, they'll _act_ like dreams!"

She laughed, and kissed his face. "Oh, my brave boy! I _knowed_ you could do it! What'd I tell ya 'bout yer bad dreams when you were little?"

"I…I…aw, damn…I can't remember." He said, a little shame-faced.

"Once you realize they ain't real, they can't hurt ya." she reminded him.

"Oh…" he nodded, frowning, "But these _are_ real. They can't kill, but they can still hurt."

"You drove the dreams outta yer body, didn't ya?" she put her hands on her hips, and looked at him like he was a bit daffy. Nodding, he seemed to be turning something over in his mind.

"Yeah…Yeah, I thinks I know what ta do, now." he smiled, and began to thank her, but her form began to shimmer again. "Mum, what's happening!"

"Looks like yer time here is almost up." She told him, looking sorrowful and glad at the same time. He had succeeded, but they would soon be separated. 

"But…No, I…I'll lose you again!" he shook his head, trying to hold on to every minute as if he could keep her with him that way. Too fast…it was happening too fast!

"No you won't," she told him, "I'm always with ya. You won't see me, but I'll never leave yer side. Never."

"Mum…" he began to tear up, and she put a hand up to his mouth.

"Shhh, don't fuss now," she told him, her voice echoing eerily in the rapidly lightening atmosphere of their surroundings. "It has to happen, and it _will_ happen. Crying won't fix it. Besides, we'll see each other again someday. Someday _later_, mind you. Till then, be brave like I know you kin be. I love you, Hoggle. I love you very…very much." Her voice sounded further away, and her own face was damp with tears.

"I loves ya too, Mum…I just hopes I won't disappoint ya." he told her, forcing a smile.

She smiled radiantly, "That'll never happen. Oh, one more thing! When this is over, go to yer father's house. Look in the back of his closet…_find a panel_…_want you to have_…" her voice faded out, and her form with it.

"Mum…" he whispered, and he felt a jolt…

He was back in his body. It seemed that his body had never left the chair. The door stood in front of him…a door, nothing more.

***

Allisande led Hoggle down the stairs, ready to catch him if he fell. Like she had expected, the room had weakened him. His eyes shone with unshed tears, and the marks of the ordeal were visible on his face, but he seemed different. He almost seemed at peace. Once she thought she saw the corners of his mouth turn up a bit, but it could just have been the fickle lamp-light.

Sarah and Sharee stood up when they entered the living room; Sharee's eyes were mostly on her cousin, in the hopes of getting some information from the older fae's expression. Sarah was looking at Hoggle, wondering anxiously how he had come out of it. She wondered at his odd expression; he seemed to be joyful and sad at the same time. He glanced up at her and smiled weakly. "I'm okay, Sarah."

"What happened in there?" she asked him as she pulled him in for a much needed hug, though it was uncertain which one of them needed it more.

He sighed and shook his head, finding comfort in his friend's arms. "Maybe I'll tells ya someday…"

***

Sarah didn't start her time in the Chamber right away. Gaheris had told her that she could wait a while; Hoggle's time had seemed longer to him than it really was, and he had only been in there for forty-or-so minutes. There was still plenty of time that night for her to take her turn, being that it was only six thirty. So, for the next half-hour, they sat sharing a companionable silence and sipping hot mugs of cocoa. 

Hoggle was thinking about what his mother had told him at the end… _"Find a panel…want you to have…"_ What had she been talking about? He hadn't known about any hidden panel, but of course he hadn't been allowed in his father's room. He assumed that she had hidden something there, if that had really been her…Hoggle was beginning to doubt that he had actually seen his mother in that room. Anything was possible, but still…

Well, he _wanted_ it to be true. He would look for that panel when he got the chance. If he found it, that would prove that she had been real. If he didn't…well, then that was that. Real or not, it had still been nice to see her again as she really was. He had forgotten how pretty she was, how loving she had been to himself and his father. 

That was another thing. Now that it was over, he found himself thinking about his father, and how ashamed of himself he had looked. Well, good! He wanted him to be ashamed, right? But…he hadn't just seemed ashamed, he had seemed…broken. Pitiful. Weak. Hardly the man he had grown up with. His mother had _said_ that he was different. Maybe he was…Maybe he had had a hard life himself, and maybe that was why he had turned out so mean. 

Hoggle shook his head, and put his mug down. Maybe someday he _could_ forgive his father, but right now he didn't want to think about it.

"Meow." Said a sleepy cat from its perch on the coffee table. Hoggle would have dropped his mug if he hadn't already put it down. Sarah sensed no danger from the cat, but Hoggle had no way of telling whether or not this cat was in any way connected to the one that had attacked him. It wasn't an orange tabby, but a large calico cat with green eyes and a round body. It saw him looking at it with apprehension, and scratched its chin with the claws of its right hind foot. "Mrrrrf!" it chirped.

"Sarah, is it…" Hoggle whispered, leaning away from it as it watched him with what seemed to be disdainful amusement.

She squeezed his hand, and whispered back, "I don't think so; it doesn't feel the same."

Sharee smirked, but kept her mouth shut. Whatever they were talking about, their reaction to the cat was quite funny. Gaheris walked in, and saw how Sarah and Hoggle were looking at the cat, and how Sharee was looking at them.

"I see Miss Eleanor's decided to say hello," he remarked, scratching the calico's chin and provoking a possessive purr. "I'm surprised. She's due to deliver in about a week, and lately she's been preferring solitude."

Hoggle relaxed a bit when he was satisfied that the cat was just a cat, and asked, "Deliver?"

"Kittens." The fae clarified with a smile, "She disappeared for a while, and came back with a few passengers. She's been rather uncomfortable, lately."

"Oh." Hoggle shrugged. "Well, I mighta guessed. She's pretty big."

"Myup!" Eleanor sniffed indignantly, green eyes snapping fire, and shifted her bulk so that she was facing the other way. Gaheris laughed and took the cat onto his lap, and Hoggle looked surprised.

"Can she understand what we're sayin'?" he asked.

"She's very smart." Gaheris told him. "I don't know that she understood the words exactly, but she seemed to think by your tone that you were making a funny at her expense. Perhaps you should apologize."

"Apologize? To a cat?" Hoggle asked, incredulous. 

Gaheris shook his head. "I was only joking. But maybe you should introduce yourself…that way, you won't have to worry about her leaving a nasty surprise in your shoes tonight."

Sharee giggled, and explained, "She does that sometimes to people she doesn't know and has decided to dislike. Maybe you should make friends." So saying, she picked up the cat, and brought her over. Hoggle was glad that she didn't just dump the cat in his lap. Instead, she knelt down near enough for Hoggle to reach out if he chose to. He shrugged. Why not?

Cautiously, he extended his hand and held the back of it near the feline's face, ready to yank it away if she took a swipe at him. Eleanor, to her credit, was extremely tolerant of him after the imagined insult he had thrown at her; she managed to appear magnanimous as she stretched her head forward to sniff, then rubbed her cheek against the rough fingers. "Want to pet her?" asked Sharee, hiding a smile in the cat's dense coat. Hoggle shrugged again and copied Gaheris, scratching her under the chin. Eyes closed in ecstasy, Eleanor lifted her chin to allow him a better reach, and purred lustily. "See? She likes you." Sharee told him, smiling at the almost childlike expression of wonder on his face.

"Whaddaya know?" Hoggle whispered, petting the cat's head.

***

Sarah followed Gaheris up the stairs, and tried to ignore the beating of her heart and her sweaty palms. She thought about how Hoggle had looked at her like he was seeing her for the last time, and swallowed a mouthful of bitter saliva. What _had_ happened to him in there? 

If she had known that Hoggle was remembering the awful draining feeling that had hit towards the end, she wouldn't have felt much better. Hoggle knew that she would make it out all right; after all, if _he_ could make it, so could she. Even so, he knew that it would probably take a similar toll on her. He had seen the dream that involved her boozing mother, and he knew that that would probably come up. His quiet statement of 'You can do it, Sarah' had touched her, but she was still nervous as hell.

Sarah listened to Gaheris's instructions, thinking to herself that it sounded a lot like he was rattling off a shopping list, and nodded in the appropriate places. It wasn't that she was trying to tune him out, but it seemed as if her head had a swarm of bees nesting in it. The buzzing muted his words so that she understood them, but just barely. When he opened the door, the buzzing increased. She didn't hear him wish her luck. 

She headed for the chair that Hoggle had used, and closed her eyes. She breathed slowly, in and out, in and out, drinking in the silence. She could actually feel the room beginning to change, and when she opened her eyes she found that she was sitting in her living room. It looked different; the decor had changed from what she knew it to be. It was like it had been before Dinah had come to live with them as her stepmother. 

"Well, here we go…" she whispered.


	23. One With Your Powers

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 23

Linda Williams was a pretty woman and a nice one, except for one little thing that, at best, made her difficult to live with; she was an alcoholic. Sarah didn't notice it much until she was about five, old enough to know that her friends' moms were different. Up till that time, she didn't understand what it was that her parents sometimes fought about. She knew that sometimes Mommy said nasty things to Daddy, and when this happened Daddy sent Sarah to her room 'till things were calmer'. A few times she heard someone getting hit, and she knew that it was Mommy who was doing the hitting. Then there was shouting, then the sound of the door slamming and the car revving up. This happened quite often. A few times, her father had to bring her next door to stay for a bit while he 'went to get Mommy', and on one such occasion Sarah heard him say something about a D.U.I., whatever _that_ was. 

At fifteen, Sarah now understood everything for what it was. Her mother had an illness, one that couldn't be cured by some type of magic pill, like the ones they pushed during allergy season. While she was drunk, she became a different person; she was often vindictive, manipulating and cruel. Sarah knew that this wasn't how she really was, but she was glad her father had won the custody battle. It was too easy, too tempting for her mother to slip up when things got hard. They still saw each other now and then, and Sarah got a card with a twenty dollar bill or two on her birthdays, but she wasn't really a part of Sarah's life anymore.

Sarah saw all of this happening before her, and some of these memories were harder to watch than others. She didn't crack, though. She had come to terms with most of it some time ago, and the process had been accelerated by her trip through Jareth's Labyrinth. She had grown up considerably since then.

Sarah blinked, and stared as the scene changed into a wedding scene. She remembered this very well. Her father had decided to remarry, after spending several years 'on the rebound', and Sarah had been twelve at the time. She hadn't approved of her father's choice, but now, she reflected, she wouldn't have approved of _any_ choice that involved upsetting the 'balance' of things. 

Dinah and her father had conceived Toby about a year later, though she wasn't quite sure and she didn't feel like doing the math, and her uneasy truce with her stepmother had been knocked down several points. She hadn't wanted a younger sibling at the time, but her father had told her that he and Dinah wanted this baby, and she should just give it a chance. It wasn't like she could change anything, so she might just as well accept it…right? Yeah, whatever. Having to deal with Dinah's bizarre cravings was bad enough, since half the time she was the one who had to prepare those obnoxious concoctions, but the sounds of her stepmother's morning sickness penetrating her bedroom walls was enough to put her off breakfast for the duration of Dinah's first trimester. 

Dinah was very good about trying to include her, she had to admit. Her stepmother really had wanted to make things work, and she liked Sarah enough to make an extra effort. She included her in several of the preparations by taking her shopping for baby things, and once she made a special trip out of schedule to go to Pizza Hut, where they shared a medium pepperoni pizza and a pitcher of Pepsi. By the middle of the meal they were actually having a good time, and they both cracked up when Dinah caught Sarah ogling their waiter's behind. The boy had noticed, and he had seemed both shocked and flattered. The topper of the afternoon, and Dinah never let Sarah forget it, was when their blushing waiter brought Sarah a plastic egg from the chicken machine; it was one of those machines you put a quarter into, and the fake chicken would go 'bawk-bawk', and give you a plastic egg with a prize inside. Sarah had been so embarrassed that she couldn't finish her pizza, but on the ride home both she and Dinah had almost had themselves in stitches from laughing so hard.

Even so, Sarah still resented her. Dinah wasn't a very passive woman, and, like Sarah, she liked doing and having things her own way. Since she was the authority figure she often won out, but Sarah hardly felt obliged to obey her; after all, why should she respect a woman who didn't even respect her stepdaughter's privacy? She was always nosing around Sarah's room for one reason or another, as if Sarah actually had something of hers. She was always misplacing things, and her first thought always seemed to be that Sarah had taken it. Which was absurd, because it was usually the other way around. She was never satisfied with the way Sarah kept her room, and she would often rearrange Sarah's things while the girl was at school. "It may be _your_ room, but it's still in _my_ house. I won't have it looking like a pig pen!" she would tell Sarah. It didn't seem to matter to Dinah that before she had moved in with them it had just been 'Peter's house', or that Sarah's room was hardly ever messy. When Toby was born, Dinah would sometimes take one of Sarah's toys from her room for him to play with, without asking Sarah's permission. 

Sarah saw her father asking Dinah if she should ask Sarah first, and Dinah had replied, "Sarah won't mind."

"Well, Dinah, I _did_ mind." She muttered. I wasn't that she cared so much for her toys; it was a simple matter of her privacy being invaded. Her privacy, and her personal territory. Supposing she had left her diary open, or something?

Personality conflicts abounded. And, as Sarah had declaimed many a time, it wasn't fair. Her father sometimes seemed more concerned with appeasing his wife's temper than he was in defending Sarah, but as Sarah watched these images from her detached position, she realized that this was as much for her as it was for Dinah. If Dinah was happy, she often left Sarah to calm down instead of pursuing the matter. The Sarah of the past would have argued that he had only wanted peace and quiet, but the Sarah that watched now saw the covert glances he shot in her direction, and realized that though he did want quiet, he also wanted to make sure that both of them came out of it unscathed by each other's tempers. The poor man was up to his eyeballs in estrogen! 

_"This isn't that hard!"_ Sarah thought to herself. She should have known better.

***

_"It doesn't look that far."_ Sarah saw herself saying. She was standing beside herself and the Goblin King on the hill that overlooked the Labyrinth. 

She remembered how the hair on the back of her neck had stood up when Jareth informed her, his mouth almost touching her ear, _"It's further than you think, and time is short."_ Jareth stepped back, and pointed to a clock that had appeared in midair, saying, _"You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your baby brother becomes one of us forever…Such a pity…"_

Sarah followed herself down the hill, averting her eyes out of respect for her friend; she knew that he would be standing at the bottom of the hill by the little pond, in an extremely compromising position and in a state of blissful ignorance regarding the person who had just happened upon him. How embarrassed he had been, but she wasn't exactly thrilled either. Upon discovering him, her mind had raced briefly as she looked away. _"Oh, jeez! Should I wait till he's done? Or go back? No, he'll hear me leaving, and think I'm some kind of pervert. Better just to get his attention…oh, boy…"_

"Excuse me?" she said timidly. The little man jumped, hurriedly scrambling for decency. There followed a brief exchange of insults after Hoggle had given her the run-around when she asked him where the door to the Labyrinth was. Well, she supposed she couldn't blame him for being a little grouchy…after all, who wouldn't be a bit punchy after getting caught literally with their pants down?

Finally she got Hoggle to let her in, intentionally screwing up his name as a parting shot when he headed back out, taking his attitude with him. She now regretted doing this, seeing that he was only trying to cover up his embarrassment. It like he was used to dealing with people on a frequent basis, so she should have just let him have his revenge and left him alone.

But Sarah was getting impatient. "Yes, I know all this!" she said aloud to herself, "These are just scenes from the past. Why should they be so important?"

__

"Because your past molded who you are right now." said the cougar, whom Sarah hadn't noticed before. It was sitting at her right, but she could barely make it out. Sarah could have sworn that it had spoken with her voice.

"Who are you?" she asked, not even questioning her lack of fear regarding this massive cat.

__

"Well…in a way, I'm you. I'm the part of you that lets you use the fae magic, the part of you that came from Jareth. We are not separate, Sarah, but one being. That is why you can hardly see me. But we can talk to each other."

"Oh…what should I call you?" asked Sarah, suddenly shy for no reason that she could think of. Perhaps it was because the magic that used to be a part of Jareth was now a part of her. 

The cougar only vanished, and said, _"Nothing. Just speak, and I will answer you."_

Sarah was about to say something else, but the scene changed, revealing Jareth. He was gazing pensively into one of his crystals, surrounded by a troupe of goblins. She saw him chewing at the inside of his cheek before saying, _"She's in the oubliette."_ When the goblins began to laugh, he snapped tiredly, _"Shut up! She should not have gotten as far as the oubliette, she should have given up by now!"_

"She'll never give up." Stated one particularly observant goblin.

__

"Won't she? The dwarf's about to lead her back to the beginning; she'll soon give up when she realizes she has to start all over again!" He chucked, then noticed that he was the only one doing so and said impatiently, _"Well, laugh!"_

Sarah snorted. "You really like to control people, don't you?" She had read about this in her changed book, but seeing and hearing it for herself was a bit different.

Next thing she knew, Sarah was in the underground tunnels of the Labyrinth. She saw the images of herself and Hoggle come across the blind beggar, and remembered having a feeling that something wasn't right. The crystal was an indication, but seeing it jump into the beggar's alms cup proved it. Hearing Hoggle groan 'Oh, no' meant that he had an inkling of what was about to happen. The scene jumped ahead a few minutes, and Jareth's statements were actually two in one. She heard the words that he spoke, but there was an echoing undercurrent of words from the heart that she was now able to hear.

__

"And you, Sarah…How are you enjoying my Labyrinth? (I want to impress you, you are very beautiful.)"

The Sarah from the past hesitated for a moment, then thrust her chin forward and replied, _"It's a piece of cake."_

Hoggle groaned, and Jareth's flirtatious eyes hardened as he became offended. _"Really? Then how about upping the stakes, hmm? (Beautiful or no, you won't win this argument.)"_ Jareth rotated his finger, causing the clock to jump a few hours ahead, and Sarah had protested that it wasn't fair. He turned to her, and as he walked away, he gibed, _"You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is. (A king must not look weak in front of his subjects. I will show you my power.) So the Labyrinth is a piece of cake, is it? Well, let's see how you deal with this little slice. (You've injured my pride, and I must compensate.)_

He produced a crystal and threw it down the tunnel, where it became the whirring blade machine that Hoggle called 'the cleaners'. While Sarah watched herself and her friend run away from it, she heard Jareth's voice silently command the huge machine, _"If they don't discover the panel, you will disappear."_ So they had never actually been in danger. Sarah realized that, throughout her trek in the Labyrinth, she had never actually been harmed. 

Now Jareth was cornering Hoggle by the rocks that were positioned to make a pretty convincing image of his face. Sarah admired the work that went into it, but only briefly. Once again, she heard his double-voiced statements. She didn't hear Hoggle's answers, because the scene kept jumping ahead to play back the next sets of words that came from Jareth.

__

"Well, if it isn't you! And where…are you…going? (She doesn't need your_ help.)"_

_"I see…for a minute there, I thought you were running to help her. (Not your help.) But, um, no…Not after my warnings, that _would_ be stupid."_

"Oh dear, poor Hoghead! I just noticed your lovely jewels are missing. (Clever girl, using him to her advantage.)"

"Wait! I've got a much better plan, Hoggle. Give her this. (A dream for her might help me.)"

"It's a present. (A very special present.)"

"Oh, now why the concern? (What right do you have?)"

"Oh come, come, come, Hogbrain! I'm surprised at you, losing your head over a girl! (She can't love you, anyway. Your in for a broken heart if you think so.)"

"You don't think a young girl could ever like a repulsive, little scab like you, do you? (I certainly don't understand how she could_ like you if she knows what a liar you are.)"_

"What, bosom companions? Friends? (How rediculous…)

"You'll give her that, Hoggle, or I'll tip you straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench before you can blink! (I won't let you back out now!)"

"And Hoggle? If she ever kisses you, I'll turn you into a prince…'Prince of the Land of Stench!' (She is mine to kiss, not yours.)"

Sarah was taken aback, not only by his possessiveness, but by his jealousy. For one thing, she didn't _belong_ to anyone. For another, Jareth was actually worried about the two of them having a romance. She didn't see why that would occur to him. She and Hoggle loved each other, just not in that way. They were just good friends, that was all. Even if Hoggle had been interested, he would have been too shy to say so. 

Sarah frowned. For a few days after her trip through the Labyrinth he had been acting pretty nervous, and then, just like that, he had seemed immensely relieved about something. Sarah had assumed that it was because he was worried about Jareth trying to punish him, but now she knew that this wasn't the case. She didn't know how the Chamber let her know about this without playing a scene, but now she knew the reason for his jumpy behavior. Hoggle had been terrified that he was in love with her. He had felt like a boulder had rolled off his back when he realized that he was not. This was just the first time since he was a boy that he actually cared a damn for someone other than himself. It was the fact that he was entertaining the idea that he felt that way about her when he really didn't that had made him uncomfortable.

Time had jumped ahead several hours, and Sarah was confronting Jareth for the final time. Sarah briefly wondered why the Chamber had chosen to omit her time in the dream bubble that had brought her to the ballroom, but she had no time to ponder this. If she didn't pay attention, she might miss something.

_"Give me the child." _Sarah began as he slowly approached her.

__

"Sarah, beware. I have been generous up till now, but I can be cruel. (As cruel as you can be…and I have _been generous.)"_

"Generous…what have you done that's generous?"

"Everything! Everything that you wanted, I have done. (I would do anything…) You asked that the child be taken, I took him. (He's back in his crib as we speak.) You cowered before me, I was frightening. (I hope I didn't overdo it.) I have re-ordered time, (For you.) I have turned the world upside down, (As well as my heart, all for you.) and have done it all for you. (All for you!) I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. (Don't expect me to just be_ a monster!)"_

Sarah continued relentlessly_. "Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is…" _she had left out 'to take back the child that you have stolen', but it hardly mattered. Toby was already save in bed.

__

"Stop!" Jareth held up a hand_, "Wait. Look, Sarah. Look what I'm offering you. (I love you, can't you _see_ that!)"_

"My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great…Damn! I can never remember that line!"

"Just fear me, (As I fear the strike of the clock) love me, (Please.) do as I say, (I am the king.) and I will be your slave. (Oh, forever!)"

"My kingdom is great, my kingdom is great…"

(Please, please, don't remember…)

"You have no power over me."

(You…what have you done to me? How could a mortal hurt me so?)

Sarah saw something that had escaped her mortal eyes before. Like a bolt of lightning, a thin filament shot from Jareth's chest and connected itself to hers. She saw this happen, and looked down to find a similar filament, only more real, leading out from her body. That was when the connection had started, when she had refused him. When she had broken his heart. All light disappeared, and Sarah was left in the dark. She felt her limbs growing numb.

"Is there any way to reverse this?" Sarah asked, knowing that she would be answered by the cougar aspect of herself.

_"Yes, Sarah. You know that. When you get back to the Goblin City, tell Jareth that you love him."_

"I…I do love him, but…I don't really know him at all. How can I be sure that these feelings won't fade?"

_"Like all loves of this sort, it will grow less intense as time wears on. But if it is a true love, it will survive. Also, if it is true, you will know when you tell Jareth. The thread that you see now will strengthen, and Jareth will receive his magic."_

"Then you'll be gone." Sarah said, and the thought of it was almost heartbreaking. She would be losing a part of herself. But then, hadn't Jareth lost himself when he had fallen in love with her? She literally felt that she would die if that happened…and at last she began to understand fully what was happening to Jareth.

_"No, you will not. When Jareth is restored to his full strength, the magic within you will regenerate. Though you still appear human, and will continue to appear so, you are now a fae. There is no going back. If you truly love him, he will get his powers back, and yours will regenerate; this happens when a human/fae love is reciprocated. The human becomes a fae in all but appearance, and will in turn have full fae powers. If the human does not love the fae in return…"_

"What?"

_"The human will stay human, unable to control the fae powers, which will eventually destroy him…or her. But you don't need to worry about that, I think. I feel no malice towards you; the fact that we are one feels very right."_

"Yeah…I think so, too." Sarah said, smiling. She looked around her, but the door had not yet appeared. "I heard that fae live a long time. Will I?"

__

"I don't know."

So…how do I control these powers?"

_"You can't fully control them until you accept them…and me. To control your magic you must acknowledge that they are a part of you, and they will allow themselves to be accessed. When you started this quest, you didn't understand. You were afraid of me. You wanted me out of you. But I _am_ you, Sarah. Just accept that, and you will instinctively know how to use your powers like every fae."_

That was all it took! "I accept! Be one with me, and I will be one with you."

_"Well done…"_

The door appeared before her, and she experienced the odd sensation of falling back into her body. She was incredibly tired, and she didn't know how she found the strength to open the door. Gaheris was there to meet her, and he was well prepared for what happened next. Sarah promptly passed out, and he caught her up and brought her downstairs.

***

Hoggle had dozed off some time before, and Sharee gave him a shake when she heard Gaheris coming down. The dwarf immediately got off the couch so that Gaheris would have a place to put Sarah. He didn't ask what had happened to her, having pretty easily figured out what had happened. "She'll be okay?" he asked.

"She'll be fine." Gaheris replied. Hoggle put his hand on her forehead, and his palm came away damp with her sweat.

"You sure? _I _didn't pass out."

"Here," said Allisande, who had just come from the kitchen. She carried in her hands a damp cloth, which she held out for Hoggle to take. 

"She was in there much longer than you were, so she'll need more time to recover." Gaheris told Hoggle, who was dabbing Sarah's damp face with the cloth. 

"How long? I fell asleep."

"Three hours."

Hoggle glanced up at the fae, the whites of his eyes gleaming yellow in the lamplight. "Three hours? Three bloody _hours!_"

"Aye. She walked out on her own, so she's done quite well." 

"Mmm…" Sarah groaned, moving her head from side to side. Hoggle's head snapped back in her direction, and he placed the cloth on her forehead and waited for her to come around.

"I'll bring her a drink." Allisande said quietly, touching Sharee's and Gaheris's arms on the way out; Gaheris immediately followed, but Sharee didn't get the hint until her cousin hissed her name. Gaheris waited just out of sight, far enough away to give them some time to talk freely, but near enough to hear if something was wrong; if Sarah got up before it was wise to do so, she could fall. If she hit her head, she might need immediate healing. Such things had happened before.

Hoggle leaned against the sturdy wooden coffee table, and played with one of the trinkets on his belt, a tiny wooden hand. He was still pretty tired, but for once Sarah had come out of something in worse shape than him. Gaheris had said she would be all right, but he would believe it when she woke up and spoke to him. Then he would be able to tell. 

Hoggle picked at the little sculpture with his thumbnail, and noticed that the tiny 'click-click-click' noise had gotten Eleanor's attention. The cat jumped up on the couch, and stared fixedly at the source of the sound. Hoggle stopped picking, and returned the cat's stare, blue eyes meeting green. "G'won…" he told her quietly, making a shooing motion with his hand; the cat was crouching on Sarah's stomach, and because she was so big with kittens that didn't sit well with Hoggle. Supposing she was too heavy to be sitting on Sarah's stomach like that?

"Mowww." She complained, batting his hand gently away in negation.

"Shoo!" he said louder, and the cat sat up primly and gave him a challenging look.

"Mrruh!" she grunted.

Hoggle crossed his arms and frowned, nonplused by her strange behavior. He definitely didn't want to start something with her, since he was wearing the proof of what cats are capable of on his arms, but how could he get her to move? 

The cat was staring at the hand sculpture again. The dwarf frowned again, and removed the 'toy' from his clothing. "This whatcha want, Ellie? Hmm?" he asked, holding it up for her to see. "This whatcha want, girl?"

Her eyes widened as she batted at the toy, and he let her take it. "Meeee!" she trilled, catching it in her teeth and making off with it. Hoggle shook his head as he watched her leave with her prize, laughing quietly.

"Playing with the kitty?" Sarah asked, stifling a giggle, and Hoggle nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Wha—No! That is, I…how much did ya see? How ya feelin'?" he stammered.

Sarah smiled, shaking her head. "I saw enough, and I'm fine."

"You sure? I mean, I was pretty tired when I come outta that room, but what's-'is'name had ta carry you down."

"Gaheris." Sarah corrected him absently, taking the damp cloth off her forehead.

"Right, Gaheris. Sounds a bit like Jareth, that's what messed me up. But ya didn't answer me. You sure, or not?"

"I'm sure. I'm just tired, that's all. I think…I think I know what to do now."

"What?"

Sarah's forehead creased a bit as she tried to find the right words, but it was hard. _She_ knew how she had come into her full powers, but she couldn't figure out how to explain it to him. Instead, she just said, "Let's just say, I understand more about what's going on with _me._ I can control the magic."

The dwarf's complexion lightened significantly, but he only nodded. She knew he didn't trust the fae magic, but he _had_ asked. It wasn't her fault this had happened, it was Jareth's. But she still cared for him. Hoggle didn't understand it. There were a lot of things Hoggle didn't understand, but none bothered him so much as this one. Whether the Goblin King treated her well or not, it would be a difficult situation at best; Sarah's father and stepmother would undoubtedly be very angry and hurt, and Hoggle didn't know how it would affect his friendship with her. Even so, there was nothing he could do but support her…either that, or turn his back. 

"Did the Chamber help _you?_" she asked him, having noted his thoughtful expression.

"Mmm." He nodded. "I thinks I knows what ta do, too. I…I pushed the dreams out of me somehow. I can't explain it, but I knows how to do it now. I can make the dreams come or go."

Sarah nodded slowly. "I think we'll beat this thing."


End file.
